Mistakes and Making-up
by KiraLiven
Summary: Percy and Annabeth have broken up, and only they know the details. Annabeth finds out she's pregnant, but Percy has already accepted immortality and has no idea, until they meet one day. Percy's determined for his children to have the childhood he never got, but he has rules and Annabeth won't help him bend them. T for minor swearing.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Percy isn't even sure how this happened. One moment, they were the best, happiest, closest demigod couple ever, to be married in the summer, then next, Annabeth is yelling at him and he's yelling back and there are tears in her eyes and then suddenly, it's over. It's all over.

He doesn't even say goodbye, just walks out and slams the door.

He stands at the beach for a while, just thinking. Just wondering how his life had even gotten so bad so quickly. He didn't even remember why they were fighting. He just knew he had hurt her harder than anyone else in her life had. And she hurt him too.

Percy is already knee-deep in the water before he realizes that his face is wet, and he's shaking. He doesn't make a sound, but anyone would know that he was crying. Percy slips underwater silently, where no one could notice the tears.

Percy is still in limbo, walking and swimming around aimlessly, when Rainbow appears. Percy looks at him with un-seeing eyes, wordlessly climbs onto his back, and holds on until they reach his father's palace.

Although many are watching him, talking to him, leading him to his father, it is Poseidon's voice that cuts through the muffle in Percy's ears and sends him into the present.

"Are you all right, son?" Poseidon repeats. Percy tries to send him a look of disbelief, but it seems like the only one he can give is one full of remorse. Poseidon sighs and his face softens. "It happens to all couples, Percy." He said gently. "Some can make it through, others can't. But Percy, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you want." Poseidon gets up and puts and arm around Percy. He leads him to his new bedroom, but leaves before he can hear Percy's sobs into the pillow, or the ring thrown against the wall opposite.

* * *

Percy wakes up, like always, when the sunlight, shaky and not at all like it is on the surface, hit his face. Like always, he pretends he didn't even think of the surface, didn't think of his life above. He pretends he didn't look to his left and look for the blonde that wasn't ever going to be there again.

He takes a few minutes to compose himself, putting up the mask of happiness and emotion. No need for anyone to worry, as they had the first few weeks of Percy's 'temporary' stay, when Percy was depressed from the break-up.

Percy glides over to his calendar, the only thing that was specifically his in his room. He crosses off the day before, because he had made it through the night, and notes that it had been exactly three months. Percy pushes the thought away as soon as it comes, though, and then glides out to start another day.

Sometimes he feels it was too easy to take up the job of his father's personal assistant, to hand Grover the ring and leather necklace and turn away, never to see his friend again. Sometimes he feels it was too easy to accept the immortality that was offered to make his new life official.

**Hey! Let's pretend I meant for this all to happen, okay? In truth, this was gonna be a one-shot of them breaking up and possibly getting back together... Okay, I had no idea where it was gonna go, but here it is, so I hope you like it! Tell me what you think! I'll try to write more and update on this one. :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey, thanks for everyone who read this, and to those who followed/favorited and reviewed.**

**teamleo4: Like Riordan's? Huh, I never thought of that. Thanks, I guess. (If you think Riordan's a good author, that is. Otherwise, I take offense. :P)**

**Princess Of Flames: Thanks! I wanted it to be sad, too, so thanks for that as well, even though I'm not sure if you're supposed to say thanks when someone says your work is sad… And I thought you were supposed to enter if it were a new paragraph or if someone else was talking… Oops?**

**Anyway, sorry to bother you any further (I know what it's like to scroll down and down until finally getting to the story), and enjoy!**

* * *

Annabeth blew a strand of hair away from her face. She could do this. She went into position, staring at her goal. She quickly analyzed her obstacles, ticking them off in the order she needed to go through.

She just had one problem: no one in their right mind would let her take a step, even though she could do it better than any of the other imbeciles. (Not that all of them were imbeciles, she was just better than them in every way, including brains.) Annabeth glanced to the side. Thalia was staring her down. _Go ahead, _her eyes challenged her. _Try it. You won't make it three steps before you're back where you started._

Annabeth still couldn't believe that Thalia was there. Not only was she surprised Lady Artemis let her, but she couldn't believe they even bothered to contact the Huntress. Thalia had made it her personal duty to watch over Annabeth like a hawk, (although maybe eagle would be better) and Annabeth found she could do nothing.

Sighing, Annabeth stepped back, positioning herself back in her chair. They had provided it for her, placed in a very nice spot where she could see at least part of the capture the flag, as if it would make her feel better. The only thing that made Annabeth feel better was the fact that Thalia couldn't play either, but that wasn't much consolation.

Not for the first time, Annabeth found herself hating herself. Hating herself, for being stupid, hating Percy, for being the biggest jerk in history, hating his stupid child who was keeping her from training, which might save his or her life in the future. No, this was Percy's child, so her ability to kill monsters would definitely save the kid's life someday.

The kids in the part of the game Annabeth could see made a huge mistake, and Annabeth groaned. She muttered under her breath, half-heartedly, trying to make it look like she was into the game. Thalia knew her better than that.

"Do I need to flick you every time I catch you think of him?" She said irritably. Lately, Thalia's been really irritated. Annabeth wasn't sure whether it was because the only guy that had been considered 'acceptable' had betrayed the woman he 'loved more than anything else in the world,' or because Annabeth has been unable to get over it. It could also be the fact that, when Annabeth was finally left, when Thalia was proved right (even though she didn't want to be), Annabeth couldn't join her in the Hunt.

"Won't matter." Annabeth said, trying a grin at her friend. From the look on Thalia's face, it was more like a grimace. Annabeth sighed. "Look, I need to think of him. If I don't think of him, I'll think of this kid, and then I think of him."

"Don't think of the kid!" Thalia ground out.

"Well, if you'd let me do anything other than sit around and think, maybe I could!" Annabeth protested, sitting up properly.

"You know damn well why I can't let you do anything physical. You'll hurt the kid and maybe even yourself!"

"Why do you even care about the kid?"

"I don't! _You_ do!"

There was a pause.

"Don't give me that, Annabeth. We both know you care. You don't hate it. Him, yeah, but not his child." Thalia had softened again, looking at Annabeth pityingly. Annabeth hated pity.

"Or maybe I think the kid'll do something good to the world. Probably the first child of two demigods in forever." Annabeth remarked, calming down as well.

"Too bad they didn't stay together." Thalia said quietly. Annabeth shot her a glare.

"That was his fault." Annabeth said. "He was the one who left for good." She turned away, hiding the tears in her eyes from her best friend.

"Annabeth…" Annabeth chanced a glance at Thalia, who was near tears as well. "Are you ready to finally tell me what happened?" Annabeth turned away again, hesitating. "Please tell me, Annabeth. I want to know how much he can be blamed." At the glare given to her, Thalia went on, "Yeah, he was the one who joined his father, took up the offer of immortality–which, frankly, I don't understand how he got it, because he's turned it down already–and he's to blame for that, but… Why did you two split up, anyway?"

Annabeth was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out if she should tell Thalia. If she should admit that it was mostly her fault. That she didn't know he'd leave for good. That she stayed mad at him for barely over three hours, before she had begun to get worried. That she had genuinely thought he was coming back.

"I'm not quite ready yet." Annabeth managed. "Maybe… Maybe next time."

Thalia sighed, more of resignation and disappointment than anything else, and moved to sit on the armrest of Annabeth's chair. Annabeth felt a pang of guilt, as well as the feeling that Thalia knew already, and was just waiting for her to admit everything.

"We need to name it." Annabeth said suddenly, because she needed to change the subject and because she was ADHD. Thalia looked at her like she was crazy.

"Name what?" She asked. Before, Annabeth would've smiled or even laughed at her face, but now she just answered the question.

"The kid. His kid. _My_ kid." Annabeth clarified. "We need a name for it."

"But we don't know if it's a girl or a boy."

"Then let's find out."

* * *

**I have no idea where this is going. But I hope you liked this chapter! :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, reviewed, or even just read this!**

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**Person (guest)/J: Well… I'll try? I mean, it'll be as in character as I can make it, obviously, because I hate it when people are OOC. And, well, I first have to figure out why they broke up in the first place before I can really properly figure out the blame. But, you know, when people fight they always think that the other person was in the wrong, and then when something really really bad happens you blame yourself and only yourself? And thanks!**

**Well, enjoy!**

* * *

Lady Hera and Annabeth Chase did not mix well together, so she was out. Lady Artemis, maybe, if Annabeth knew where to find her and if she could bear going to the Huntress' campsite, seeing what she couldn't have anymore. Eros she had long since decided to avoid, after the Nico fiasco, as it was now called. The only thing that was going to happen is her finding out the gender of her baby, and no other information is going to be passed, from either her or the god/goddess who tells her. That said, Aphrodite was out as well, seeing as Annabeth was not up for any gushing or dramatic sobs or even the future of the child. There was the goddess of childbirth and midwifery, Eileithyia, but Annabeth had no way of finding her.

So maybe it wouldn't be as easy for Annabeth to find out the gender of her baby as she thought it would. Thalia didn't think it'd be smart to go to Lady Artemis, sympathizer though she was for Annabeth's cause.

"You know," Piper said the day after capture the flag. "My mom won't be that bad about it. I can mediate, if you want."

"I've been actively avoiding your mother, Piper. I'm not going to face any god or goddess of love right not. I just want to know about the gender of my baby, and nothing else."

"Makes you think…" Piper grinned as Annabeth glared at her. Annabeth hadn't told anyone the details to what had happened between Percy and her, but Piper had a sixth sense for things like this. Perks of being a daughter of Aphrodite. "I'll talk to Jason about any Roman deities." Piper suggested.

"Good idea." Thalia said. "If you don't get along with any of the Greek options, the Romans should be willing. After all, Percy was part of the legion, although you aren't. And anyway, you helped them with their multiple personality disorder or whatever it was."

"Yeah. What time is it in New Rome?" Annabeth asked. Although Jason and Piper primarily lived in New Greece (They had wanted to call it 'New Athens,' but then Percy pointed out that Athens was just a small state that was part of Greece. But Annabeth thought it sounded strange as New Greece.), but Jason was visiting, seeing his friends again. Piper had stayed to help Annabeth out.

"Doesn't matter." Piper smiled a smile that probably was not the smile you should have on when talking to your boyfriend's sister. "But you might wanna get out while I wake him."

Annabeth waited for Thalia to kill Piper, but the older girl just laughed. She wondered why she never had that type of reaction from Thalia when Annabeth made comments like that about Percy.

A few minutes later, Piper called them back inside. Jason was on the other end of an IM, looking very tired, hair stuck up in random places, but at least decent. He yawned as Annabeth explained what they wanted.

"There are plenty gods and goddesses related to fertility and childbirth–though mostly just marriage and fertility." Jason winked and Annabeth flushed. "Might not be very happy about you getting pregnant before the wedding, so they're all out."

"Can you just give me a name and how to find him or her?" Annabeth asked irritably.

"Lucina, roman equivalent to Eileithyia." Jason suggested.

"I've already thought of her, but I don't know where to find her."

"Why don't you just ask Apollo or Rachel?" Jason asked.

"I'm not going anywhere near Rachel until after the baby has been born a month. Rachel understands."

"Won't change its fate." Jason whispered.

"If I can prolong it, then I will." Annabeth responded firmly. "Farther away it is, more time to prepare."

"What if you get the prophecy late, but you don't have any preparations for that particular thing?"

"I'll prepare him or her for anything. Besides, this isn't the problem right now. The problem is finding out this baby's gender."

"Why can't you wait to find out like a normal human?"

"Because I'm not a normal human."

"But there wouldn't be any problems with the ultra-sound, or the baby." Jason pointed out.

"No, no problems. I just want to know sooner, and seeing as I'm only _half-_human, I can find out sooner as well."

"Seems like it's more trouble that it's worth."

"It's worth it." _Anything to make me stop thinking of it as _his_ baby._

"Talk to Chiron about it." Jason waved his hand in dismissal, and promptly fell onto his bed to sleep. Piper cut off the connection.

"Sorry." She shrugged.

"We can ask Chiron, although he'll disapprove." Thalia said.

"Or just not tell me because he doesn't think it's right or something." Annabeth grumbled. "Okay fine, let's go."

~0~

It took them a while to get anything out of Chiron, but finally Annabeth, Thalia, and Piper were able to get her location. After that, it was simple, really. Eileithyia knew exactly why they had come, and after holding her hand for a minute, declared two twin girls. That shocked Annabeth, but hey, that's what she asked for. Eileithyia didn't even say anything else about the baby, and they left as easily as they came.

Piper and Thalia were as shocked as Annabeth was about the twins business, but eventually they got over it, and started suggesting names.

"I dunno, but I've always liked the name Rose." Piper said.

"Ew." Thalia responded. "That's like… Rose. Naw, give them strong names, ones that show how tough they are, not some beauty name like_ Rose_."

"You could name one of them after your mother, or someone you really admire." Piper suggested.

"Minerva?" Thalia tried. "I know you didn't exactly have the best experience with her, but that's a more common name that Athena…"

"Or not after your mother." Piper's eyes lit up. "Name them after heroes! Like, of this generation! Selina, or Bianca!"

"Great idea!" Thalia said. "Except not Selina. And do they have to be dead? Name one after me!"

"I'm not naming my children after you." Annabeth said firmly. "Never. You'll probably live longer than them, anyway."

Thalia shrugged. "Okay, although I'll love you forever if you do."

"You already do." Annabeth replied with a snort. Piper cooed mockingly.

"Well, I still think it'd be cool for you to name one of them after me." Thalia said defensively.

"Not happening."

"Not Selina though."

"What do you have against Selina?"

"Nothing! It's just not a name I think your baby should have!"

"And I don't think Nico would be all too happy if you name one Bianca." Piper pointed out.

"Great. That's out, then." Annabeth mumbled.

~0~

"Got what you wanted?" Chiron asked as soon as they came back.

"Twins!" Annabeth smiled. "Both girls."

"But we can't think of a name." Piper said.

"You have time." Chiron replied. "Right now, however, it appears that a few of your friends have come for a visit."

* * *

**Can we just pretend this all was supposed to happen? Thanks.**

**Tell me what you think! Even CC or flames! Actually, especially CC, those are definitely appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks for everyone who reviewed and favorited/followed! Much appreciated.**

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**Princess Of Flames: Zoe! I don't know about Rosalyn, but Zoe! I knew I was forgetting an important name of a dead hero! I had tried to make up for it with Atalanta, and then you reviewed and I replaced it. Thanks!**

**DiAngelo00: Thanks, although I'm afraid it's not particularly original. I just put a lot of ideas that have been done, put it all together, and wrote it. Appreciate it, though. :)**

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**Enjoy!**

* * *

"You have to tell him!" Frank insisted for the hundredth time. "He deserves to know." The seven (minus Percy and plus Nico and Reyna and Calypso and Thalia) had gotten together. Frank, Hazel, Reyna and Nico had come from New Rome to visit, after Jason apparently decided that finding out the baby's gender was something to be heard in person. They had headed over while Annabeth, Thalia, and Piper were talking to Eileithyia. They were talking on the porch of the Big House, watching the half-bloods play and train.

"I do think that you're in the right and all, Annabeth, but I agree with Frank." Piper said, looking slightly apologetic. "Wouldn't he be thrilled to have kids?"

"If he could have them." Annabeth muttered. "He's under the same rules as the gods now."

There was a silence as her friends processed this. Annabeth's prideful side praised her for thinking of something no one else had thought of.

"And anyway, Athena and Poseidon have both forbid it." Annabeth continued. "And I can do this."

"Don't you have school?" Nico asked wearily.

"You passed the last month because you hadn't even showed yet, but you'll have to take a maternity leave from work and be constantly on your toes in school." Thalia pointed out.

"It's college. People there are adults, it's not unusual for one of the girls there to be pregnant." Annabeth dismissed.

"Most of them are in grad school, and married." Jason said.

"I was almost married." Annabeth whispered. There was a pause after this, people trying to figure out what was safe to say next.

"You need someone to help you financially if you're going to go on maternity leave." Hazel finally said. "I'm not sure I completely understand how you're even going to get away with this in school, but this is the twenty-first century, and they've even legalized gay marriage, so I'm just going to assume that you won't really get any dirt because you're not married. But you'll still need a way to financially hold up two kids, and if you're on maternity leave, and your job, although it is a pretty good pay, you might not have enough."

"I don't need his help financially." Annabeth snapped. This was tiring. They were not going to tell Percy, why were they still pushing it? Couldn't they talk about something else?

"But will you accept our help, Annabeth?" Frank asked.

"You guys have a lot on your mind already."

"Actually, we could." Jason said thoughtfully.

"And we need a baby shower! That'll get you a lot of essentials that you'll need." Piper suggested.

"I could be the children's nanny." Calypso suggested. "I think I'd be fairly good with kids, especially with my magic."

"Are you going to raise them knowing about the gods?" Leo asked, as if the thought never occurred to him.

"Of course! I raise them knowing about the gods, knowing how to protect themselves, and they'll be ready for whatever the fates throw at them."

"You can't protect them on your own." Nico said. "All of us _will_ help. I know you don't want to move to New Greece, so fine, you don't have to, but you'll have to drive them there a lot, maybe even everyday so Calypso can babysit them and work at the same time."

"And I can help, too." Piper suggested. "Out of everyone here, I think Callie and I are the least prone to accidents and monsters, and rather good with kids."

"Guys, I really don't need–"

"Yes you do." Nico said firmly. "You do need our help and I know you might not want it, but you need it. And if you won't take it as it is, then we're going to think of something so that you won't be able to refuse it."

"You need a roommate." Thalia said. "You need someone to live with you, especially while you're on your maternity leave." She looked around. "Anyone? I can't, since I don't think Artemis will allow me to stay out of the hunt for that long, but are any of you not too busy?"

"No, see, you're all too busy. There's no need, anyway." Annabeth said. Thalia glared at everyone (including Annabeth) and finally a few raised their hands.

"I could," Piper said somewhat hesitantly, "I mean, the house is empty half the time anyway, or one of us is gone, so I could."

"We could do rounds." Leo suggested, his hand and his girlfriend's hand up.

"Leo, you're out." Thalia said. "Not you." Leo's hand fell and he slumped down.

"And you too, Calypso. You live above your store, so you really shouldn't live anywhere else." Annabeth added.

"But then I could take care of the kids much easier, if I were living with them." Calypso said.

"Thanks, but–" Annabeth was cut off abruptly.

"Annabeth, you have no say in this whatsoever." Thalia interrupted. "You'll veto everyone, I know you will."

"I'll do it." Nico said. There was silence. "Look, I'm just my dad's helper, the ambassador, but there are plenty ambassadors, and dad's never really needed me all that much, plus it's for a short while anyway, right? I'm gay, so there's no need to worry about Annabeth being unsafe from me or your significant others cheating on you–which is highly unlikely, but anyway –Annabeth's like my older sister, and has been since I've come to terms that Percy was never going to like me the way I liked him, but he still cared for me. I'll take a paid leave from my dad, so I can help her financially, and I'm good with monsters, I can be with her almost all the time, since I can shadow travel, and I can get the undead to help around the house if Annabeth is having an OCD fit but she's too pregnant to be waltzing around cleaning or looking for something." They all stared at him. "What? It's the best decision." He grumbled.

They all laughed, and then Piper started the conversation of the baby shower, and the girls started planning it while the guys talked about something else that definitely wasn't Percy and how he was (especially after Juniper and Grover joined them) and Annabeth definitely wasn't listening to the conversation even if it was.

~0~

"You should name one of them Frankie." Frank joked. They had stopped talking about the baby shower and the guys whatever they were talking about (which was not Percy) and were now brainstorming names.

"No." Half of them replied.

"Name them after their grandmothers." Jason suggested.

"Sally Chase and Athena Chase?" Thalia tried out. "No."

"Minerva Chase?" One of them thought out loud.

"Sarah Chase. Sarah's Sally's real name, right?"

"Sofia Chase. Sofia means wisdom in Greek."

"Sofia _Jackson_." Piper said, sounding half-asleep in the summer sun, but immediately everyone was staring at her and she was definitely not half-asleep, with her hand covering her mouth and her eyes wide. "I'm sorry, it just sounded good!" She said, her voice muffled because of her hand.

"It does sound good…" Annabeth mused. "Maybe. My name's hard to match up with others. But if one is Jackson, the other has to be Chase." She did not miss the look Piper and Thalia exchanged, the _She's taking this remarkably well. _She didn't comment on it, though. If she could call them by their names, then she wouldn't be thinking of _him._ Last names didn't really matter.

"But why split them up like that? Won't they think something was up, and feel different because of their last names? No offence, but the Jackson one will feel different because her last name is different from yours." Thalia pointed out.

"It sounds better, though…" Piper protested. Thalia glared at her.

"There has to be Chase somewhere there." Annabeth replied firmly.

"I'm sure there's a logical way to convince you it could be otherwise, but at the moment you have to trust us. Make it the same last name." Thalia said.

"Let's just focus on the names and then the last name later." Leo suggested.

"Should they have two names, or just one?" Hazel asked.

"Two." Annabeth replied. "I've been thinking, one that's directly named after someone, and one that's really just a name."

"So, like, Selina Sofia?" Piper asked. "Sorry, I really think you should name one of them after her."

"Selina Sofia." Annabeth approved.

"What if we can't think of another name?" Thalia demanded. "Will one end up being Selina and the other Sofia? Selina, I'm sorry Piper, but I've already said, I don't like her. Selina Sofia sounds good, but still."

"Marina." Nico said. "Marina's some sort of sea port or something like that, right? You've got Sofia, then you have Marina."

"Do you want another _M_ name?" Hazel asked. "Selina Sofia and Marina M-something?"

"Isn't your mom's name Marie?"

"Don't name her Marina Marie."

"How about name her after a Greek Hero?"

"You mean Heroine, Jason."

"Atalanta?"

"Marina Atalanta? Atalanta Marina?"

"Haha, Marina's related to water, and Atalanta sounds like Atlantis–"

"Shut up, Leo."

"May? Megan? Mary?"

"Mary's super Christian. We're not Christian."

"Isn't May Luke's mom?"

"Marina Megan? I thought we wanted the other name to be directly named after someone."

"Marina May."

"We're not naming her after Luke's mother."

"Agreed, Thalia. Not a good one."

"Atalanta Marina doesn't sound too bad."

"Selina Sofia Jackson and Atalanta Marina Chase."

"Doesn't have the same ring to it as Selina Sofia."

"It's not bad, though"

"Medea!"

"Sure, let's just name her after a witch who went crazy and killed her and Jason's children!"

"Please don't."

"Marina Medea doesn't sound too bad, though."

"Might as well call her Medusa. Marina Medusa."

"Medea wasn't such a bad person, you know. Jason did leave her and break his promises."

"Did you know her, Callie?"

"Of course. We learned sorcery together."

"So she's not that bad?"

"She was lovely. And a wonderful witch. It was that bastard Jason, to be honest. Charmed her like he charmed everyone else, then left her when he got bored."

"Can we please not talk about the hero I'm named after?"

"Odysseus, on the other hand–"

"Getting off topic, here!"

"Zoe." Thalia said, and everyone was silent. Everyone had learned about Zoe. She was on the list of heroes who died during the war, and even the new children could find her up on the night sky.

"Zoe Marina?"

"Zoe Marina Chase."

"Let's not talk about last names yet."

"Selina Sofia and Zoe Marina." Annabeth said firmly. "We'll call them by their second names."

"Selina Sofia and Zoe Marina it is." Thalia announced. "Now, I'm hungry, who wants to eat?"


	5. Chapter 4

**This is sort of a filler… And at the same time not. More like mentioning those who haven't showed yet, and to show that I haven't forgotten about them. **

**Holy crap, this story has so many followers and people who favorited...**

**Thank you!**

**Replies to reviews: (and this means unless you like reading replies to reviews or you reviewed, you can skip down to the actual story. Enjoy!)**

**Princess Of Flames: To be honest, I was trying to think of names myself, and that was basically a more edited version of my thoughts. And I agree about Clarisse, but at the same time, is she ever really going to get pregnant? I just can't see her as a parent. And I feel like Selina should be honored as soon as possible, that type of thing. But I'm also watching it, because you can't name your children after lovers. That's just weird. (Sorry J. K. Rowling!)**

**Ghost 1247: Just wait. Just a few more chapters, I think! ;)**

**Maria (guest): Thanks! And I'm glad you liked the names. Sadly, they really don't sound as good as Chase… I'm trying to figure this out. :P**

**Guest: Thanks! I'll try to get this done!**

**Greek Wise Girl: Just wait! ;)**

* * *

"Congratulations!" Another half-blood that Annabeth vaguely remembered came up to her and congratulated her on her baby.

When Piper said 'baby shower' and while they were planning it, Annabeth had imagined a room filled with all her girlfriends, including some from school, with refreshments she could eat and drink (being pregnant with a legacy cut down that list by quite a lot) and good music playing from the stereo. Maybe a few gods would show up, because they were the gods, but that would be it. And then they (and by 'they' she meant 'Piper') booked the amphitheater in New Greece for it and practically opened it to the public. They stopped asking only girls to come in, and the nymphs were working their hardest to keep the food from disappearing completely and leaving some people hungry.

Annabeth had been sitting in the back, where Piper had instructed her, and everyone who came in had made a beeline for her, given her congratulations and maybe a gift, and then went off with their friends to talk.

On the bright side, at least she got lots of gifts.

"Congratulations, Annabeth." Malcom smiled at her, but a disappointing smile.

Recently she had left the cabin to live in the big house, and Malcom became counselor. They had grew separate, even though they had been really close when they were younger. It was funny, Malcom had been the first to accept and even approve of her relationship with Percy, but also the first to disapprove of the baby. Her other siblings didn't think much of it either, but Malcom had seemed the least accepting.

"Malcom." Annabeth said, accepting the present with some surprise. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"I wanted to ask you a quick question, that's all." Malcom smiled, and suddenly Annabeth was afraid, which was stupid, because when was Annabeth afraid of Malcom?

"Go ahead." Annabeth invited apprehensively.

"Have you told you father?" Malcom smiled, this time more like an older brother smiling at a younger sister, understanding, and when Annabeth did not answer right away, he left.

"Hey, Annabeth." Annabeth's head whipped to the side, where Rachel Elizabeth Dare was standing. She half thanked her for taking her mind off Malcom's question, which had bugged her more than she would say and left her frozen for longer than she would admit, and half yelled at her for coming at all.

"What're you doing here?" Annabeth whispered, and winced on the inside. It wasn't that she hated Rachel, on the contrary, she loved her, and wished more than anything that she could be by her side at all times, but she didn't want to know her children's fate. Rachel had no control over the Oracle's spirit, and being near her could spark a prophecy about her girls.

"Because I wanted to congratulate you and give you a gift." Rachel said, her eyes sad yet understanding. "But I'll do just that and then get out of here if you'd like."

Annabeth opened her mouth to say, _Yeah, I'd like just that, thanks_, but instead, she said "No. Stay. I missed you."

Rachel grinned and walked up to her, taking a folded-up chair from behind and sitting on it.

"Congratulations on the twins, girls, right?" She asked.

"Thanks. Zoe Marina and Selina Sofia." Annabeth replied.

"What're their last names going to be?" Rachel asked.

"Chase, most likely." Annabeth shrugged. "Jackson sounds better, but I don't want to name them Jackson."

"Whatever you want, Annabeth."

And so they caught up, Rachel talking about her new paintings (one of which was her present to Annabeth, along with an offer to paint the nursery walls) and about her gallery in the fall, and Annabeth talking about everything except him. Every so often they would glance at the topic, but they both expertly changed the subject so that any onlookers wouldn't have even guessed at their discomfort of the situation. Sometimes guests coming to congratulate Annabeth interrupted them, but they would continue on afterwards like nothing happened.

"So, Nico's moving in." Rachel said in wonder. "That's strange. Didn't really take him as much of a people person."

"He's not, but he was the best choice."

"I would've done it." Rachel whispered, and Annabeth felt a pang of guilt.

"You need space, your studio, for your art." Annabeth said, trying to make it seem as though that was the reason why, although both of them knew the real reason.

"Right. But I do live pretty near, so I'll be able to check up on you and Death Breath a lot, right?" There was a touch of hopefulness in her voice, one that clearly said, _Please let me back into your life._

"If you want." Annabeth responded, and Rachel had smiled.

"You're not worried about me anymore?"

"I'd rather your friendship."

**Line break!**

"I am hurt, Princess." Clarisse had come through the crowd, Chris at her heels, which had parted for her. Annabeth looked up from her conversation with Rachel.

"Hey, Clarisse." Annabeth said. She was happy today.

"You picked names out for them without me?" Clarisse demanded.

"Oh. Sorry, Clarisse, it's just…" Annabeth shrugged helplessly. "I went with Thalia and Piper to find out their gender, and then the seven and the ones on the quest came over and we picked out names…"

"It's alright, I didn't really care, I was just hurt you didn't ask me."

"But I chose the name you would've wanted, didn't I?" Annabeth responded, her voice soft.

"Yeah. Nice pick, Princess. She deserves to be honored in that way." Clarisse gave her a smile, and then handed her a package. "IM me if you ever need anything, 'k Princess?" Clarisse said. "I don't want any excuses. You need help and you IM me, got it?" Annabeth agreed.

**Another line break!**

The bright light that appeared in the middle of the room was all Annabeth needed to see to verify the theory that the gods always assumed they were invited to things when people were too scared to tell them they were not.

_At least it's not all of them, _Annabeth thought drily as she looked back to see Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes and Poseidon. She knelt down, as best she could, Rachel and Thalia watching her carefully to ensure she wouldn't hurt herself. Of course, she wasn't incapable, they were just overprotective. She was barely even showing.

"Rise, rise, no need to bow down to your cousins!" Apollo said in his casual manner. By the faces of the other gods, they did not share his flippant manner or thoughts.

"Well–" Poseidon started, but was interrupted by Athena.

"Well, we've come here for one reason and one reason only–" She said bluntly, "–to give Sofia and Marina gifts."

Annabeth's eyes widened. This was going to be worse than she thought!

"Since the children are both mine," Athena said, "I am blessing them both with wisdom. However, since they are also, unfortunately, Poseidon's, and he has taken claim over them both as well, and we have had a disagreement. We have compromised, and will each give blessings to one of the children. I will bless Selina Sofia, and Poseidon will bless Zoe Marina."

"No." Annabeth interrupted. "You will not force my children apart in this way." Annabeth couldn't quite believe what she was saying. "I will not have one child with the abilities of her father and another with the same abilities as me–I will not love them equally if this is so."

"Or perhaps you will love them equally, for the one you ought to hate more has everything of the man you love." Aphrodite chirped. Annabeth glared at her.

"And I could never properly parent both of them, not the way I could were they both to have certain elements of me and certain elements of … their father. I'm not saying bless them both the same things, I'm just saying you can't split them, or even me, up like that."

"You could parent them both if you had" Here Aphrodite added a cough "–_their father _to parent them as well."

"Why are you even here?" Annabeth snapped. She could feel the eyes of her closest friends, suddenly suspicious. Hand it to Aphrodite to suddenly turn everyone against her.

"To give your daughters a gift." Aphrodite said. "You honor me by naming one Selina, and so I wish to honor them as well."

"Isn't this supposed to happen after birth, when the baby is let out for the public to see, or something?" Rachel wondered.

"Isn't the baby shower supposed to be a bit later than you're having it?" Aphrodite responded. "And besides, I'll just give two gifts! I'll give a material gift, and then a blessing after the babies are born!" Aphrodite looked pleased she had thought of it. "I have the gifts on the pile, you can thank me later, dear." Aphrodite said, waving her hand as about a dozen presents appeared on the pile. Annabeth forced a smile on her face. _I bet it's clothes. _She thought in agony.

"And I have one of those baby musical stuff, except legit." Apollo said, grinning. Another present appeared on the pile. "It makes them smarter and more musically talented. But don't worry, I'll give them something extra when they're born. It's awfully hard to bless those who are not yet born."

"I will first bless you, Annabeth." Artemis smiled, and Annabeth's smile back was genuine. "A good and as painless as I can make your birth–although you are still human–and I have these gifts as well." Artemis held out her hands and a black ebony box appeared. Opening it, Artemis revealed a silver bow and quiver and a matching dagger–very alike the huntress' equipment. "Of course, as they will be a bit too small for some time, these can shrink and grow in size. I have two matching sets, each engraved with their names." Artemis walked over to the pile and placed one (no, two!) of the boxes onto the now quite large stack of presents. Annabeth wondered briefly how something that was meant to be so small with minimal gifts become something so big–with so many things to carry back, she will have to take multiple trips.

"Alright, we've decided." Athena and Poseidon, although they had been silent, had somehow came to another consnsus, and this time Poseidon was talking.

"Okay." Annabeth looked at her mother and the man who was grandfather to her children.

"We will let the genes do its work." Poseidon smiled. "We will wait until the children are born, and then enhance whatever skills they already have."

"Can't you already tell?" Annabeth frowned. She didn't know much about genetics, but she was pretty sure it didn't take that long for genes to be transferred into a fetus. "I mean, aren't genes decided on during conception? Isn't it, like, part of the mitosis or whatever-it-was-called?" Percy had been a biology major. He was going to be a marine biologist. Annabeth supposed he got his dream, in a way.

"Yes." Artemis spoke. "That is true, although it is also true what my brother said–it is easier to bless a baby, not a fetus." Annabeth nodded in comprehension.

"But I have a gift for the children." Athena said. "A chess set. The pieces will move of their own accord, and will, at times, argue with you if you choose badly."

Poseidon didn't give any gifts, but Annabeth was surprised enough. Perhaps it was all because they were the first children of Greek demigods in forever.

All-in-all, this baby shower wasn't so bad. _It could have been worse,_ Annabeth decided.

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**Okay yeah, this was like acknowledging that others are affected too, and that Annabeth is still friends with people from before. Don't ask me where the genes thing came from. **

**Tell me what you thought!**


	6. Chapter 5

**So, instead of doing my homework or starting the essay that my grade completely depends upon, I'm going to procrastinate and post thins instead, and then go ahead and write another chapter. It might be up soon, depending on how fast I can write it. :)**

**The plot is really starting now! Yay!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed… Always makes my day when I open my email and see that people have even read this story, much less liked it. :) Thanks!**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"You didn't take anything out." Nico observed. "All of the furniture that used to be there, it's still there." Nico was 'moving in,' which seemed to be him going into the apartment, getting a spare key, and bringing a duffle bag of what seemed to be all his possessions. He'd already been to the apartment before, many times, when Annabeth and Percy were still together, and had noticed how she hadn't moved anything since.

"Yeah." Annabeth prayed he didn't hear the quiver in her voice.

"Doesn't it… Affect you in some way?" Nico asked tentatively.

_Of course it does, you idiot! Everything here reminds me of him, but I really don't have time or the ability to move out or get new furniture, so I'm stuck here with the apartment looking exactly the same! _Annabeth said in her mind.

"No, not really." She lied instead. He obviously saw through that.

"Well, I don't like it." He declared. "I'll call up Frank, see if he'll help us move some things around. You okay with that?"

"Would he even come?" Frank had gone back to New Rome, like the rest of the people who lived there, and the even Thalia had gone back to the hunt. Summer had ended, and people went back to work (although sometimes 'work' was in camp, but still…)

"Oh yeah… Um, who'd you rather come, then?"

"Clarisse." The words were out of her mouth before she could even think of it. Clarisse and her had gotten quite close, and although Clarisse wasn't close to any of the seven or any Romans Annabeth knew, she had stayed with Annabeth throughout it all, especially through the seven/eight months that Percy had disappeared, all those years ago.

"Clarisse?" Nico didn't sound so happy about that.

"She'll be able to do the work, she'll be willing to come, and she will stay after to talk with me." Annabeth hoped Nico caught her insinuation in that sentence. _And you'll go during this time, because I might cry and Clarisse and Rachel and Thalia are the only ones who're allowed to see me cry._

He didn't. "Cool. Got a drachma?" He said instead, walking over to the fountain that was there for IMs. It was a housewarming gift from Poseidon, but apparently he didn't have the heart to take it out yet.

"There's always some there." Annabeth replied. "Unless he's decided to stop restocking it, although I haven't used it all summer. I've been in camp."

Nico started the IM. "Oh goddess, please accept my offering. And if it's you, Fleecy, well, accept my offering too, then, I guess. Clarisse, in New Greece."

The air shimmered, and Clarisse appeared, training with her sword in the public gym.

"Clarisse!" Annabeth said. Clarisse turned around, wiping sweat off her brow.

"Hey, Princess." She said casually, walking up to the IM. "What's up?"

"Could you come and help Nico and I arrange some furniture? Nico doesn't like it so much."

"Sure thing, princess. Give me thirty minutes to an hour. I'll shower and change, then head over."

"Thanks."

Nico swiped through the mist and dissolved the IM.

"Well, we have about half and hour to an hour." Nico said wearily. "I guess I'll… unpack?"

"You know where." Annabeth replied, and Nico went to the guest room to 'unpack.' "You want anything to eat, drink?" She called to him.

"No thanks." He called back.

Annabeth headed to the kitchen, grabbing some carrot sticks from the fridge, and sat down at the table to eat. She found them very stress-relieving. And now was definitely a time to stress. She loved the design of her apartment. She did it nearly on her own, as Percy was more of a distraction than a help, and moving it would surely make it look worse. But it did bother her, how every spot had 'Percy' written all over it. A change would stop that slightly.

"Hey, Annabeth?" Nico walked into the kitchen.

"Hmm?" She responded, munching on a carrot.

"Are you going to stay in this apartment?" He asked. "Because the girls will need a room."

"You're not staying here forever." Annabeth replied drily.

"Yeah, but I'll be staying until your maternity leave ends and you have everything handled. Which means I'll be here until after they're born."

"Right. Well, we could use some change in furniture." Annabeth tapped a carrot against her lip thoughtfully. "My bed could be changed into something smaller, and my study could be converted to their room."

"That'll take some time." Nico observed.

"Didn't you say you'll conjure up some skeletons to work?" Annabeth demanded. "And I'm not incompetent, you know."

"I know, I know. You just can't do extensive labor."

"Right." Annabeth replied coldly.

By 'extensive labor,' it appeared that Nico had meant 'anything that requires exertion.' Annabeth was forced to sit on a chair and conduct while Clarisse, Nico and a few skeletons moved the furniture around. Then Nico and Clarisse, because of lack of space, had placed her where she couldn't even see the proceedings and turned her study into a bedroom. They even built the cribs (she had gotten a couple from the baby shower) and insisted she sit out. Instead of letting her help with the bookshelves, Nico got the skeletons to move most of them to various places in the apartment (she had them organized a certain way, but now it was ruined, but she tried not to get too mad) and put the ones that wouldn't go anywhere into boxes. Then Clarisse sat beside her and helped her sort through the books she wanted and the books she was willing to give away, going so much as to walk over to the bookshelves and yell their titles and authors out loud.

Annabeth was getting fed up with it. She was finished with the books, the ones that she didn't want in boxes and ready to be donated to the local library, and the ones she wanted properly on bookshelves (although she hadn't been allowed to put them there herself). Now they had called over Rachel and let her create scenes of different mythologies and even some parts of Annabeth's own story, and were resting, although Annabeth hadn't exactly moved from her spot and was getting immensely fidgety.

Nico and Clarisse were eating, talking about 'maybe putting in beds as well' and 'would she be alright if Percy's on her children's walls forever?' and then 'Tomorrow, we'll continue working.'

"Well," Annabeth announced, "I'm going out for a while."

A flurry of 'Where's and 'What's came from all three of the other people in the apartment, and then Clarisse offered to come with her.

"No, no, just keep working." Annabeth gave a smile. "I have my dagger and Yankees cap and the phones that the Hermes and the Hephaestus cabins made for us. I have you, Nico, on speed-dial and also Rachel and even Thalia. I'll be fine."

"Put me as a speed-dial too!" Clarisse shouted as Annabeth walked out the door.

Annabeth was walking aimlessly in Central Park when her phone rang.

"Annabeth Chase." She answered.

"Hey, Annie." A voice she recognized as Leo's slurred through the phone.

"Leo?"

"Yeah."

"Are you drunk?"

"Yeah."

"Um... Why?" _And why are you calling me? _She added in her mind.

"Because she left me."

"Who?"

"Calypso. She left me for him."

"Who?" Annabeth grew scared.

"You know who. She said I was only temporary, but he was permanent. She would finally be able to be with someone forever, but that someone wasn't me. Because I wasn't immortal. Annabeth, she said that they had fallen in love, a long time ago."

_Bullshit. _She thought immediately, and then thought better of it. The moonlace that he had insisted on being in the window, the look he got when Leo or Calypso was involved, how often he'd come to her defense. "I know." She finally said.

"And so I thought to call you, because, well, it's _him_."

Annabeth was silent again. _I know_ sounded too monotonous, too unfeeling. "Where are you, Leo?" She finally asked.

"The bar."

"Which one?"

"I dunno."

Annabeth sighed. "I'm coming to get you, okay?" She hung up.

Using the app that the Hermes cabin had installed to trace calls (they were given to all half-bloods that were counselors or more, so that they could help any demigods in need–dumb and bad if a monster ever got it, but it was very handy at times), Annabeth traced Leo's phone.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Leo slurred as she walked up to the bar. "You want a drink? Oh yeah, you can't. But don't worry, you're secret's safe with me. Calypso won't tell, not if she wants him to leave her."

"Okay." Annabeth tried to keep the tremor out of her voice. "Let's get you home, okay, Leo?"

Leo shook his head. "No. Not home."

"Then I'll take you to my house, okay? You can stay there a while. Nico will mind, but it's still my place."

"Your house. Okay."

Almost as soon as he said that, screams filled the air. There was no doubt that a monster had come. Annabeth sighed in annoyance and pulled on her Yankees cap.

"Hey, hold on, you can't go fight." Leo said with a frown, looking around vaguely. "You're pregnant."

Annabeth muttered a curse. How she had almost forgot that, she had no idea. "Stay here, I'll call for back-up." She mumbled, making Leo jump. She pressed the 1 on her speed-dial–always the most important person (and usually the first person) she had to call, because it looked like she was going to phone the police.

The phone was answered on the third ring, which should have warned Annabeth, but she had no time to think properly. "Don't get mad, Leo was wasted at a bar and I came to get him, there's a monster here somewhere we don't have much time, get over here." She said in a rush, and then said the address of the bar.

The person on the other end was silent, and in a panic, Annabeth dragged Leo down behind an upturned table, peeking over to see what the monster was. Five dracaena. _Maybe the babies have a scent too, even now._ Annabeth mused, then cursed her ADHD.

"Well, you coming, or should I call up someone else?" Annabeth snapped into the phone.

"Annabeth?" The person on the other end whispered. Annabeth froze.

She promptly hung up, a slew of swear words passing her mind and leaving her mouth. She couldn't believe she had forgotten to change her speed-dial 1 into Nico, and replace Nico's old speed-dial number (3) into Clarisse. Trying not to think about it, she called Nico up.

"Annabeth?" Nico's voice came through the phone and Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief before hurriedly telling him of her predicament. "I'll be there." He said, hanging up.

Annabeth watched the monsters anxiously. They seemed to be looking around, trying to find her and Leo, and it was only a matter of time before they did. She couldn't handle all five alone, and Leo had passed out beside her, barely hidden by the table.

Suddenly, the door banged open and a dark-haired man was whirling through their lines, chopping their heads off before they could process he was even there. They were dead before Annabeth could even register the fact that he wasn't Nico.

* * *

**Does this count as a cliffie, or…? :D Tell me what you think! Or even suggestions on how you think he'll react… I'm writing it now, so I might end up reading the review after I've written it, but I might incorporate it later anyway, so any suggestions would be great!**

**Any comment, good or bad, about my writing would be much appreciated, so please review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Thanks to everyone for everything and such, but I'm sure you want to read this, so here you go!**

* * *

"Wait, wait, repeat what happened." Rachel demanded.

"He found out." Annabeth replied, stony-faced. "And now I'm going to go to bed and I thank you for the nursery, I'm sure it looks wonderful." Annabeth got out from her seat. "Nico, please get Leo a blanket, or maybe move him to your bed, I'm sure he'll be a pain either way when he wakes up."

Nico didn't respond, only stared at her silently. She avoided his eyes.

When Nico had finally appeared at the bar (apparently he had gone to the wrong one at first), he found Percy looking around and attempting to find Annabeth. She had told everyone, including herself, that she had been trying to stay silent so he wouldn't take off her cap and find out, but she had really been frozen in shock at how little he had changed.

Percy looked exactly the same as before. Same height, which was about half a head taller than her. He had the same build, although he might've been even hotter than before, with the same messy black hair and piercing green eyes. The smile that was usually there had been plastered on in the beginning, when he was laughing at how Annabeth was hiding from him, as if it were all a game, but that smile disappeared very soon after that.

"Come on, Annabeth." Percy had called as she hid behind the same overturned table with Leo. "Time to come out now, tell me why I had to kill all the monsters and you were unable."

Nico had materialized right after that with his sword already drawn. It went straight to Percy's throat and didn't move, even after it was obvious that Nico had recognized Percy. Nico had said some things Annabeth didn't care to repeat.

Percy had been downright confused at the violent and rude remarks, and had told Nico honestly how Annabeth had given him a call and he had answered. Percy was in no way affected by their breakup, not in any way Annabeth could see. If anything, it had done him good. Immortality suited him, that Annabeth had to admit.

Nico hadn't even bothered to yell at Annabeth or reprimand her for making such a bad mistake, which she thanked him for silently. He only told her that Clarisse was on her way with the car, and he would stay with her until Clarisse came and could take her and Leo away.

And then, Percy had found her. He saw her shadow, although it was still distorted and barely there due to the dim lighting of the room, but it had been enough for him to grab her and sit her down on a chair.

"Take off the hat, Annabeth." He had said, not demanding, but not pleading either. When she had refused, he did it himself.

Annabeth had always known that he had been too good at that for it to benefit anyone.

The silence that followed Annabeth becoming visible was so oppressive, she felt like she were a microbe underneath a microscope and Percy was trying to understand her, understand how she worked and the way she thought.

"Is that…" Percy pointed at her belly.

"What do you think?" She challenged.

"Maybe we should go now?" Nico suggested.

"Go take Leo back home. I said I'd bring him home to my place, though, because he doesn't want to go back to his house." Annabeth said, not taking her eyes off Percy. He just kept staring at her stomach, as if he couldn't understand why it was larger than normal. Nico didn't leave, but he didn't say anything either.

Percy opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to get words out, but finally, all he was able to say was, "Mine?"

Suddenly, Annabeth found she was out of words as well. She could only nod and hope he understood.

"My… child?" Percy said, and again, Annabeth nodded. "My… child." Percy repeated. Annabeth was tempted to tell him that they were twins, and girls, and their names were going to be Zoe Marina and Selina Sofia, but she thought better of it. None of the gods–or she–had even wanted Percy to know, so the less he knew the better.

"That's my child…" Suddenly, Percy grew angry. His hands balled up into fists. "My child, and you didn't think to tell me?" He said, his voice trembling from barely controlled rage.

"You had left."

"I had left because you told me to!" Percy shouted. "You told me to, so I did! If I had known there would be a child, I'd have stayed until the ends of the Earth! Gods, Annabeth! You _know_ all I had ever wanted was a child, a _family_!"

"I know." Was all she could say.

"You're going to deny me the one thing I want, then?"

"I don't deny you anything, Percy. The gods do." Annabeth tried to keep calm. _How dare he blame me!_ She thought indignantly.

"Don't bring them into it. This is you, Annabeth."

"And the gods deciding that it would be best for you to not know! And having you know, be aware, that by becoming immortal, you would be subjecting yourself to all the rules of the gods!"

"What the Hades does that mean?"

"It means even if you wanted to, Percy, you could never be there for your children, because gods aren't allowed to interfere!" Annabeth threw calm out the window. She was not in the wrong here!

Percy was silent.

"I… I'm sure I could think of something." He finally managed.

"No, Percy, because even if you did, I wouldn't want you to be there."

"So you are denying me my right."

"It's not your right anymore, weren't you listening?"

"And I'm willing to give up any other right, anything else, if only I were to be allowed to parent my child!"

"But you've already given up that right, for the ability to be immortal and run, like you always do, run like the coward you've always been."

"Don't you dare call me a coward."

"I already did, Jackson, because guess what? You are one. You avoid as many problems as you can, you find the easy way out, just like you left to join your father instead of trying to fix us."

"Well, I'd been going the hard way, trying to keep us together and I finally realized we just weren't going to work, so how can you blame me?"

"You didn't have to turn your back on everyone else and choose something everyone knew you had always disagreed with."

"I didn't turn my back on everyone!"

"Yes you did, Percy, you left our world to join theirs!"

"_They_ turned their back on me!"

"How can you say that?"

"How? Because I tried IMing some of our old friends, _my_ friends, and they took one look at me and cut the connection off! They all chose _your_ side! What in the name of Hades did you tell them to make them even believe it was my fault?"

"I told them the truth! It is your fault!"

"No, it's not Annabeth, and we both know that."

"You left, and that's all anyone needs to know to know that it was you, all you, who ruined your own chances to a normal life."

"I was never going to be normal!"

"And that's my fault, is it?"

"I never said it was!"

"But everything is suddenly _my fault,_ so how about this?_"_

"I never said any of that was your fault, all I said was that you were the one who ended it between us and you're acting like it was me!"

"No, Percy, I never said that! I said that you left me and ruined your chances to a family!"

"You told me never to come back, that we were over for good."

"I've said that many times Percy, but this time I mean it. We're over. For good."

"You're not even going to give me a chance, are you?"

"To be the parent who's gone half the time because he's too busy? To be the parent with another life that your child isn't part of? To leave me wondering when you'll come back next? No, Percy, I'm not giving you a chance to do all of that."

"I'd be better than no father, and I'd be better than what you say."

"I've already told you, _you don't have a choice_!"

"I can try!"

"Just go."

"Not until you tell me that I can see my own child."

"Percy, go!"

"Why?"

"I'm saving your life from an angry Clarisse, Percy, or whatever part of you that can still be killed."

Percy opened his mouth to respond, but Nico beat him to it.

"Percy, just go." He interjected. He looked sadder and more downcast than usual. It occurred to Annabeth that Nico had still idolized Percy, even when he didn't have a crush on him, and this was affecting him too. "Just go, Percy, and leave us all alone."

They had sat in silence for a few moments after Percy had left, only Leo's groans cutting through the quiet. Clarisse had come and picked Annabeth up without a word, Nico deciding to bring Leo back via shadow-travel. Annabeth hadn't said anything, and when they came back, all Annabeth said to Rachel and Clarisse's interrogation was that he knew and he knew he was not welcome to parent her children.

Annabeth lay on her bed, listening to her three friends talking in low voices, no doubt about her and Percy. A few minutes later–or was it a few hours?–there was the unmistakable sound of the door closing and Nico going to his room. The apartment was quiet again, and Annabeth was left with her thoughts.

_You told me never to come back, that we were over for good. _Percy had said. Annabeth had told him that, when she had ended it with him. It was funny, whenever they had fights, Annabeth could never remember everything that they had said to each other, but this time all his accusatory words rang in her mind.

_You were the one to end it between us. _

_What in the name of Hades did you tell them to make them even believe it was my fault? _

Annabeth closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but his voice floated around, his face appearing in her mind's eye, mouth set angrily and his eyes glaring at her.

She didn't get much sleep that night.

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**Okay, this isn't very good, I know, and this is a bit short and you probably want to kill me now, but… :) Tell me what you think!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Sorry for not updating, schoolwork caught up with me and I hate cramming and I just didn't have any time. ****Thank you all so much, though, for the favorites and the reviews and the follows and the reading of this story.**

**Greek Wise Girl: I guess you'll have to wait and see like the rest of us! Oh, and I figured she'd put it as 1 so that people would think she was calling 911 but she wasn't… Thanks!**

**teamleo4: I'll keep that in mind! Although I think I'm going to build up on Percabeth at the moment. I find it hard to put to many characters at the same time, it gets confusing on who should be speaking and stuff like that, and Leo and Annabeth aren't really that close...**

**prettyneonlights: I think you're a mind-reader. p.s. Thanks!**

* * *

Part II: Percy's POV_  
_

_Just go, talk to her. _Percy thought to himself. _Talk to her, try to convince her to let you father the child._ Percy steeled himself and walked to the door of his room. Right as his hand was on the doorknob, however, Percy cursed and turned around again, pacing as he tried to figure it all out.

_She already told you how she felt. _He reprimanded himself. _She wants you out of her life._

_But I can't just leave her to be a single parent!_ Another part of him argued.

_Well, you can if that's what she wants! _He replied.

_No. I have to go. _Percy turned towards the door again, reaching for the doorknob. Again, he cursed and flung himself away from the door, unable to turn it. The cycle repeated.

About the tenth time this came about, the door opened. Poseidon stood in front, looking down at his son.

"You!" He gasped at his father. "You knew about this!"

"Yes, I did. And we had all decided that it was for the best for you not to know, Percy." Poseidon replied, sweeping in and sitting down on a chair that definitely wasn't there before.

"How can you say that?"

"Because it is true. Annabeth does not want a god to parent her children, understandably, and you cannot either way. It would have been best for you to never know what you could have had."

"Could have had."

"Yes, had you chosen a different path."

"And I can't un-choose it?"

"No, Percy, you can't."

"So I'll have to watch from afar."

"I don't think you'll be allowed to watch at all, Percy."

"But you watch your children, don't you?"

"Yes, but I also cannot directly interfere. It is hard, Percy, to watch from afar and know you cannot help if your child is in danger, not really. It is hard to let your children learn from their own mistakes, to not shelter them the way you want to. It takes practice not to surge forward and solve all their problems for them."

"Fine, I wont, but I can't just not know what how the child is doing!"

"Forget about it, Percy. That is the easiest way to go."

"No. That's the coward way to go. And I've been a coward for far too long."

"It's a bit too late to be courageous, Perseus."

"I can still try."

"No you can't, son."

"How would you watch me?"

"I would use many ways, from my throne room something that works like an IM, scrying. If I wanted to be there, I'd be an animal or even a person, using the mist to hide me while I watched your progress."

"Then that's what I'll do."

"But you cannot interfere, Percy."

They sat in silence while Percy mulled this over.

"I can't interfere with my children's lives, not while they are mortal, so to speak." Percy said slowly.

"You can try to convince Zeus to turn your children immortal, and their mother too, although I'm sure even if he agrees Annabeth will surely decline."

"Alright, fine. But…" Percy's head snapped up. "Wait, do you know the baby's gender? Can you tell me at least that?"

Poseidon hesitated. "Percy, the less you know the better–"

"Dad just tell me."

"Twin girls." Poseidon didn't say anything more.

"Twin girls…" Percy breathed. "What if I–"

"Were to take one and leave the other, really, Percy?"

"Could I ask Zeus to undo my immortality?"

"And even if he does, you would try to regain Annabeth's trust in order to parent them, I suppose."

"Yeah."

"You know Annabeth better than I, if you think that would work, by all means, try it."

"Oh. No, that wouldn't work. Not while she thought I was only with her because she was mother to my children."

"That is the reason, Percy."

"Is it?"

"Percy… I think it would be better for you to just let this whole thing go."

"No. I am doing something for my daughters."

"There's nothing you can do."

"There must be something."

~0~

_Hi, I'm Peter. Peter Johnson._ Percy said in his mind, imagining himself walking up to her and just introducing himself. _No, that's too obvious. John… Jackson? Odysseus, Luke–no, no, definitely not–Theseus, Hercules, now I'm just naming heroes! Jackson. Johnson. Johnson will be my last name. Jack… Johnson? Hello, my name is Jack Johnson. _Percy shrugged. Why not?

He then brainstormed how to get her attention, how to meet her again. _Approach her in a coffee shop? In the library? No, not the library. The bookstore? School? Just on the street? I can't, like, knock into her, she's pregnant. Meet her outside her apartment? Move into the apartment? Could I even do that? Who lives above her? Does she even live in the same place? Did she change anything? Does she still sleep on her side of the bed and leave mine open for me? Does she even miss me? Or has she moved on?_

Questions swirled around his brain as he cursed the ADHD. He sat in his room a while longer before deciding he would move in. He would be the neighbor–which would be a plus, living near her–and visit her in a way to get to know the people he would meet. He'd give her cookies, even! No, that'd be weird, a guy giving around cookies or something like that? And they couldn't be blue, so cookies were out. He'd just go empty-handed. The apartment below their old one–Annabeth's, now–was out for rent. He'll just move in, right now. He could do this.

* * *

**Okay, short, but it's like the beginning of a new era! This era will be the story in Percy's POV, because I didn't know how to alternate it during the first few chapters and now need to separate them!**

**Tell me what you think!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hahaha, this was supposed to be up before, but I was writing, then accidentally went onto Viria's tumblr and one thing led to another and right now I'm listening to Soldatino (Nico's Lullaby) by Paola Bennet (if you haven't heard of this, look it up I was sobbing).**

**So… It took a while longer than I had expected.**

**Thanks for everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, followed, everything. Much appreciated.**

* * *

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There wasn't an answer at first, but a loud, "Just a minute!" and then a quieter argument.

Nico di Angelo answered the door. Percy nearly had a panic attack.

At first, he thought that Nico had been hiding his feelings for Annabeth and once Percy was out of the way, they had gotten together. And then he realized how ridiculous that was and _why in the world would Nico pretend to be gay in order to hide that he was straight, especially if the people he 'liked' were together?_

So Percy pushed the thought out of his mind and just assumed Nico was… visiting?

"Hey." Percy smiled–no, Jack smiled. "I'm Jack, I just moved in, I live right below you, thought I might just pop in and say hi or something." Percy realized he was scratching the back of his neck the way he always did when he was uncertain and stopped. He couldn't act too much like himself or everyone would know.

"Oh." Nico blinked twice. "Annabeth, some guy from below came to say hi." Nico called over his shoulder.

"What?" Annabeth asked in alarm. "Some guy from _below_?" Annabeth probably thought he was talking about the Underworld, Percy realized, and tried not to laugh.

"I mean, he lives on the floor below us, wanted to say hi." Nico corrected. "So, come in, I guess." Nico opened the door wider and Percy stepped in. "Annabeth, he's all yours." Nico disappeared into the guest room, and Percy wondered again whether Nico was staying with Annabeth.

"Hey." Annabeth said from her spot on the couch. She stood and walked over. "I'm Annabeth."

"Jack." They shook hands.

"That was Nico, sorry about him."

"No, no worries." Jack assured. Annabeth closed the door behind him. "Your husband?" He asked, on a whim, assuming that someone would ask that if they had no idea.

"No, definitely not." Annabeth laughed. "He's more like my little brother, although we're not really related."

"Oh. Cool." Percy was unsure about what to say next. Usually, he was great in social situations and always kept the conversation going and stuff, but now that he knew Annabeth but she didn't know that and she didn't think she knew him, plus he still kinda loved her and it was just a whole big darn mess. "Uh… So…"

"The douche of a father to my children left." Annabeth said, understanding what he wanted to ask (or would have wanted had he not already known) and answering it. She shrugged. "In his defense, he didn't know when he left, but still."

"That's horrible."

"That's life."

"Uh… Children?"

"Twins. Girls." Annabeth said easily, then looked slightly scared. "What about you, have any children?" She asked hurriedly.

"Oh, no." Jack grinned. "Single."

"Oh." Annabeth nodded slowly, and Percy remembered that she wasn't much of a conversationalist when she felt she had nothing in common with the person. Which meant if she thought they were mortal. "You want, coffee, something to eat?" Annabeth finally asked after a slightly awkward silence. "I don't know what we have, I've been gone all summer…" Annabeth walked over to the kitchen.

"Uh, sure, coffee." Jack said. Percy looked around and saw how the arrangement of everything was changed, some bookshelves added, pictures only of Percy and Annabeth gone.

Annabeth cursed, closing the pantry that usually held the coffee. Not that much was changed in the kitchen, at least.

"So sorry, we don't have any coffee left…" Annabeth apologized, then frowned. "Where'd it go?" She muttered. "Nico!" She shouted, storming out of the kitchen in such a way that Percy wanted to catch her and slow her down so she didn't fall over. He didn't though, and Annabeth didn't fall either way, marching straight up to the guest bedroom.

"Nico!" She banged on the door. "If you're in there, which you better be, you are coming out right now and getting us more coffee!"

The door opened to find a smirking Nico.

"Nope." He said. "Piper says you shouldn't have coffee while you're pregnant."

"Screw Piper, Jack wants coffee." Annabeth said.

"And you'll have some too, which is bad for you."

"What does she know about being pregnant?" Annabeth muttered. She turned to Jack. "Sorry, but it is important that I not be dictated by my overprotective friends just because I suddenly don't have a partner to help me. I swear, I lost one to gain three thousand." Annabeth sent a glare to Nico. "I'll have to go buy the coffee myself, and hide it so I can have it. But it was nice meeting you." Annabeth led him back to the door. This was not the way Percy had envisioned their 'first' meeting.

"I have coffee down in my apartment." He offered.

"No." Nico said. "She's not allowed coffee."

"I have hot chocolate." Jack amended.

"Sure!" Annabeth said, too cheerfully.

"I'm coming too." Nico said darkly. "You're not getting coffee, no matter how much you want it, Annabeth." Annabeth huffed.

"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself." She said. "Besides, what're you going to do when school starts, follow me there?"

They headed out and into the elevator, although Annabeth had obviously wanted to take the stairs.

"You're going to be the death of me." Annabeth groaned. "I'm not that far along, and even if I were, I need exercise too!"

"Tell you what," Jack said, smiling, "I'll go look online and read some article about pregnancies and see if that's true."

"Please be on my side!" Annabeth begged. "Everyone else is killing me!"

They left the elevator and went into Jack's apartment. Boxes were mostly unpacked, and the important things were in their proper place, but the rest were all scattered everywhere. Jack regretted bringing anyone in.

"Sorry for the mess." He apologized. "The kitchen's here."

He made hot chocolate for Annabeth, coffee for him and Nico. Annabeth scowled but took it.

Suddenly, her phone rang, and she answered, apologizing. Jack struck a conversation with Nico, who looked quite unhappy to be forced into being social, but wasn't the worst Percy knew he could be. He had gotten better over the years.

Percy–Jack–he got confused between them, because were they the same or were they different?–learned from Nico as much of the things he already knew as he could. Annabeth was arguing with someone on the phone, evidently someone who knew her father, as they were arguing about her telling her dad.

"I don't know why I'm even arguing with you, Malcom." Annabeth yelled, (that answered the question), pacing the kitchen. "You're sounding like Percy right now, you know that? Ugh, I'm hanging up. Goodbye, and _don't you dare tell my dad without my permission or I will kill you_."

"Someone's feeling violent." Jack muttered. "But yeah, I'm trying to get a job at the aquarium, and I'm majoring in education in NYU." Perks of having a father as a god, if you really needed to, he could get you anything, including a spot in NYU.

"Annabeth's at NYU too, minor in education, majoring in engineering. I think." Nico looked quite uncomfortable striking conversation, especially when he learned Jack liked fish the same way Percy did, but at least Jack hadn't chosen marine biology as a major, as it was before. Perhaps Jack would be a good teacher.

"Sorry about that." Annabeth had hung up and joined their conversation. She tried to hide her discomfort, but this was definitely not how Percy had imagined it to go, and he realized how stupid he had been not to fix up a proper background for himself, making things up as he went along and trying to figure it all out.

Finally the most awkward social situation Percy had ever been in ended, Annabeth claiming that her friend was coming and she had better go, and Nico disappearing along with her. Percy was left to wonder how in the name of Hades this could have gotten so bad.

Okay, not _that _bad.

_There were a few good parts, _Percy mused. _And I learned about her pregnancy, how she's being well-taken cared of and everything. I just… need to become friends with her before it's too late and she gives birth. I can't stay much longer if that happens._

**~ThisistooshortandIdon'tlikeitsoI' 'tmindthislinebreak~**

Luckily, Percy didn't need to stalk her to know her classes and where they were, especially since they now had some classes together–and no, he did not try to remember which specific classes she had so they could have them together, he was only trying to befriend her so he could be at least slightly a part of his children's lives, and although that didn't really make much sense because he'd be gone when his children were born, but it was the only thing he could think of.

It was obvious that Annabeth was shunned a bit more because she got pregnant before she got married, and she hadn't been big on having mortal friends in the first place, so it was easy to strike up a conversation with Annabeth right after a class that Jack tried to listen to but didn't remember what exactly happened at the moment. They chatted, talked about whatever, and it was much more successful than the 'first time' they had met. Jack was a little too much like Percy, but at least he had changed his eye color and hair to blue and brown (blue and blond would look too much like Jason or Luke) and his voice, so she might not make the connection until it was too late. Percy didn't need to get caught until _after_ he had played at least a small role in his daughters' lives.

(Yeah, he was still trying to figure out how that would work and what he was going to do about that. Right now, he was just focused on being friends with Annabeth, and then planning what to do next from there.)

Still, even though this encounter was better than the last, Annabeth was holding back. Her walls were still up, and Jack found himself wishing they were down more than once. He asked questions to try and gain her trust, but some of them just made her slightly wary and close him out even more. _Don't push it._ He reminded himself. _This is only your second meeting._

~0~

"You wanna get coffee?" The words came out of Jack's mouth before he was aware of them. This was the fifth time they had talked, fourth time after class (and no, he was not counting) "I–I mean, you wanna get a drink that you can have?" He rephrased.

Annabeth was looking at him weirdly and he was sweating and _What if she says no, what if she thinks I'm strange shoot I messed this whole thing up stupid, stupid why did you do that, she's not ready–_

"Sure." Annabeth broke into his thoughts. "But I want coffee…"

"Well, I did look up whether coffee was okay for pregnant women, and as long as you don't have more than two cups, I'd say you're fine."

"You looked it up?" Annabeth asked, and Jack cursed in his mind. _She thinks I'm crazy!_

"Well, I was curious." Jack shrugged. "I've heard both, but then I've also heard the horrible things alcohol and other really bad stuff can do to a fetus and I was wondering. I'm not too bad with biology, so it was more for educational purposes than anything else." He covered up, and then realized he was being _way_ too much like Percy and started freaking out again.

_This is like when we first started dating!_ He thought to himself, and would have been amused were it not him.

~0~

"Wait, Selina Sofia and Zoe Marina?" Jack asked after laughing about the story she had told about Thalia and Piper arguing about the names.

"Yes. Those were our final decisions." Annabeth smiled.

"Those kids are going to be so lucky." Jack said.

"Why do you say that?" Annabeth asked, frowning.

"Because they'll have you as a mom, and it looks like a heck of a family. They'll all care so much. You're lucky too, you know, not being alone in this."

"I shouldn't have needed to be 'lucky' in the first place." Annabeth muttered bitterly. "We were supposed to be together forever. And then, some argument that we've just had forever but always thought we had figured it out, and we're over."

"What was it about?" Jack asked quietly. Annabeth hesitated. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Yeah, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I mean, I haven't even told my best friends the whole story, and you're–" Annabeth paused.

"Not your best friend?" Jack asked gently.

"I've known you for a few weeks. Not long enough."

"Yeah, I get that." It did take Annabeth an entire quest before they had put her 'hatred' of Percy behind her, so it made sense that Annabeth didn't trust him just yet.

"It's so strange, though." Annabeth frowned. "I feel like I know you already."

"Me too."

* * *

**What do you think? Is it weird? I didn't know what to do and I feel like Annabeth's a bit OOC and actually maybe they all are...**

**Is the Jack/Percy switch a bit weird? Tell me and I won't do it next chapter and I'll change this a bit.**


	10. Chapter 9

**For those of you who read Moving On, you'll know that I'm very sorry that I haven't updated and the reasons. But, of course, barely any of you do because it's a completely other fandom that for some reason not very many people are part of, although I can't get why. The Underland Chronicles are one of my favorite books, and (don't kill me) is actually better written than PJO. Fact of life.**

**Anyway, I'm very sorry I haven't updated, I've kinda been depressed and then school work caught up to me, PLUS I had no idea what to put next because I SUCK at writing stories where people start off not knowing each other and then they do. Kind of. I just can't write social occasions or whatever. I'm sure you could tell.**

**First, Note: This was written with two different ideas in mind that were not supposed to end up together, but then they were. Let's just say it was Jack's life and then me showing that Percy has a life too. Whatever. You'll get what I mean when you read it.**

**Princess Of Flames: Thanks! Hope you like this one too!**

**Bloodtributes: I definitely hope it was necessary. Percy definitely thought so. And, that was sort of my mistake. I didn't want to have to look it up myself. :P She would be working in her spare time, duh. They're not going to take her blueprints away from her, are they?**

** 123: That is when the pressure comes and you get writer's block: when it gets interesting. But I updated soon enough, right? Compared to some? Maybe? I'm sorry!**

**teamleo4: Got it! I'll stick with Percy! I was just thinking that I might do Annabeth's POV sometime and then the switch will be even stranger, but nah. It's too much work to think about all of that. I'm afraid that when I envisioned this, I skipped the 'friends' part and am now slightly stuck. I hope this one isn't too filler-y...**

**WisegirlAnnabethChase: Thanks! I will keep updating, just not quite sure how fast these updates will be now...**

**Percyholicz (guest): Thanks! I thought so too, and then it made me a bit confused as to when to use what… I'll figure it out. I hope.**

**Blair (guest): hehehe… Sorry.**

* * *

It had been about two months, now, of talking nearly daily, and going out and getting coffee (but he still watched her intake). Percy was confident that Annabeth thought Jack a good friend.

But good friend wasn't enough.

Good friend is the one that is the one you look for when you had no one else to turn to, your last resort, the one who you didn't trust with secrets but are willing to talk to comfortably. Good friend is someone you'll invite over for a party, but won't spend most of your time with during said party. Good friend gets called up once everything is safe and sound, just so that they know 'there was an accident, but everything's fine now, no need to panic' without being told there was an accident in the first place.

Good friends wouldn't be there to see your children right after they're born, even if it's the only time they can see them.

So Percy had to become more than a good friend, in order to be able to see his children. And it wasn't because he still thought of her as anything more than a friend, or really wanted to take their relationship that much further. Percy was still mad at Annabeth.

But, feelings aside, this needed to be done, so Percy decided to write a plan. It took him the whole night and a horrible headache that was worse than a hangover, but he managed to create a plan worthy of Athena. Well, Athena's long lost sibling or descendant, maybe. He even wrote it down:

_Let Annabeth know you know about the gods. A mortal who's half-sibling is a demigod, daughter of Demeter. Older sibling, died when she was 12 and we were 7. Knows how to use a sword but isn't too good at it. (note: camouflage Riptide so that she doesn't recognize it and become not-so-good at sword fighting.)_

_Become closer to Annabeth. ASAP._

_Find out more about pregnancy. How the children are doing. Kind of._

_Stop being awkward. _

_Tell Grover and Nico who you are. They'll find out soon enough anyway. But don't if you don't need to._

_Talk to the gods about being granted more time with your children. If this fails, keep trying._

_See your children. Be as good of a father you can be._

Yeah, he didn't think much of it either. Number one was pretty good, though.

~0~

Percy knocked on the door quietly. Three times, then two, then finally one. His special knock. No one answered.

Percy knocked again, louder this time. This wasn't the first time he had ran off without telling his mother, but he always came back again. He promised he'd always come back. No matter how many times he left, no matter how long he was gone, he'd come back.

And so he had. He was aware of how angry his mom would be. He was aware that she was probably close to Annabeth still, helping her along. But Percy was a momma's boy, so he was going to take the risk. It had been long enough, anyway.

The third time he knocked, there was an answer. And then there was his mother, and she wasn't mad at first, only worried and relieved. Because even though she knew where he was, she didn't know exactly _how_ he was, and she was his mother.

He hadn't realized how much he missed the feeling of her arms around him, the familiar scent of cookies and candy and just of _home_ that she brought around with her. It was different from the other home smell of his father, of the sea, but this one Percy held closer to his heart.

~0~

"Percy, I want you to do me a favor." Poseidon's voice issued from the cell phone Jack held at his ear.

"What favor?"

"It's sort of a delicate situation…" Poseidon sounded uncomfortable. "But I've been … er… _seeing someone_, so to speak." He spoke carefully, as if afraid Percy were a bomb that would explode once hearing the news, but Percy was used to it. Expected it, even. Poseidon never could keep to that oath, after all. And Percy had come to terms with all his siblings and the ones to come. Triton hadn't turned out that bad, too. (Well, considering what he expected, that is.)

"Alright, what does that have to do with me?"

"I was supposed to meet her today, at the Starbucks near your apartment…"

"You want me to go and tell her that you were very sorry but couldn't come? Can't you just call?"

"I want you to help her find your mother."

There was silence.

"What?" Percy finally asked, his voice strangled.

"Help her find your mother. Sally is one of the strongest women I've ever met, the kindest, sweetest of them all."

"Yeah, I know, she's my mother, and she raised me."

"I want her to help Abigail out."

"How?"

"Give her a few tips, talk to her. Abigail's quite scared. It's her first."

"Wha–" It clicked. "Oh! _Oh_."

"Mmhmm." Poseidon hummed in return. "So please help me out. The child's still in danger because of my oath, so drawing attention to it wouldn't be smart. I've started to make a rule that when it gets too obvious I slowly withdraw."

"How slowly is your slowly?"

"Bring her to your mother."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Just do what I say."

"How am I supposed to even do that?"

"Tell her you're Poseidon's son."

"If I die because of this, you owe me in the next life."

"You're immortal."

"It'll still hurt to be hit." Poseidon merely snorted and hung up. "You're welcome for agreeing to do this, Dad." Percy told the dial tone.

~0~

Percy found Abigail at the Starbucks as promised, but he also found Annabeth. He cursed his father.

He pretended not to see her at first, walking into the store and looking around for a girl that matched the picture Poseidon sent him. And then it got really bad, because it turned out that the girls knew each other.

He was never going to do favors for Poseidon ever again.

"Hey." Percy said, cutting into their conversation, then cringing as both sets of eyes landed on him and widened. He wished to be anywhere but where he was at the moment.

"Percy?" Annabeth spoke first, trying to sound shocked but sounding more suspicious more than anything else.

"Hey Annabeth." He put up a feeble smile. Without Jack's protection, his skin a mask that kept Annabeth from knowing it was him, Percy realized how deeply Annabeth hated him. "Great to see you. But um… I was kinda sent for Abigail."

Annabeth's eyes hardened. "What do you mean?" She asked coldly.

"Wait, Annabeth, you know this guy." Abigail cut in. "Who is he?"

"I'm Poseidon's son." Percy said, smoothly cutting off Annabeth. That had taken years of practice to perfect.

"Posei…" Abigail paled and her mouth opened in shock. So did Annabeth's.

"Percy–" She hissed.

"I've got this." He whispered back. "How're the kids, by the way?" He shouldn't have asked. Annabeth glared at him so hard, it was a wonder he hadn't died yet.

"Wait, you are… How old are you?" Abigail asked.

"Unfortunately… About your age. I think you're a little older than me, but he likes them young, usually." Percy shrugged. "Senior year of college."

"You don't go anymore." Annabeth pointed out.

"So am I. Annabeth and I go to NYU." Abigail said, looking a bit green. "I'm dating someone old enough to be my father!"

Annabeth and Percy exchanged a look, but decided not to say anything.

"I want to take you to my mom." Percy said. "She's great. Dad left her too, and she gave birth at 19, but she's the best mother anyone could ever ask for."

"I can do that, Perce." Annabeth said. "I was going there anyway, and then I met Abby."

"I'm afraid I've been asked specifically to take her to her. Thank you for the kind offer, though."

"How do you two know each other?" Abigail asked uneasily.

"I'm his ex." Annabeth replied, while at the same time Percy chimed, "We were really good friends."

"He takes after his father." Annabeth finished, giving Percy the stink eye.

"Oh. But… Poseidon…" Abigail frowned. "I mean, he hasn't exactly left me…"

"He's decided on the slow approach." Percy grumbled. "I don't know what he thinks is _slow_, but–"

"Well, definitely not leaving one night after a fight and never coming back." Annabeth said frankly.

"I didn't come here for you." Percy snapped. "You've made yourself very clear on where you stand in this situation, so if you'll let me at least try to help children, even if they're not mine, that'd be much appreciated."

Abigail's mouth opened to an 'o.' Percy and Annabeth glared at each other for another minute, neither looking away.

"I'll go with Percy, then, to go see his mom. It is his mom, after all." Abigail finally piped up.

"Good idea." Percy turned away and sending a strained smile. "My mom's great, you'll love her. The World's Greatest Mom." He declared. "She'll help you through anything. She's everyone's mom, anyone who needs one that is." Percy started off, Abigail following shortly. Annabeth got up as they left the shop, and he knew she was going to come too.

"You wanna ride with us?" Percy asked, turning from his car. He had made his car look different when he was Jack, so she didn't recognize it now, thank the gods.

"Sure." Annabeth sighed, resigned.

She and Abigail sat in the back and Percy drove to his mother's house. They talked in whispers, undoubtedly about him, but Percy was able to ignore it and take them where he was told to.

Knock three times, then two, then one. The door swung open immediately and Percy was pulled in. His mother was about to shut the door quickly before she noticed the other two at the doorway, and froze.

"I've known for a while, mom." Percy said, rubbing his arm where his mother had grabbed him.

"And you didn't tell me?" She demanded. He shrugged, and she kept going. "And for some reason, you two haven't made up yet? She's carrying your baby, Percy! I thought I had raised you better!" Annabeth stepped in and gestured for Abigail to come and the two made themselves at home.

"You did, mom–"

"Well obviously I didn't do a good enough job of it, if this is what happened! Taking after your father, leaving everyone you love, really Percy, have I failed this badly?"

"I've tried! It isn't your fault–"

"You have no idea what I've had to sacrifice–"

"Of course I do, mom!"

"Don't interrupt me! You have no idea what I've gone through to bring you up the best I could, and you go ahead and betray me and everything I've ever taught you! I thought you were better than this!"

"She's the one keeping me from fathering my own children!"

"Don't you dare blame anyone but yourself! Annabeth is justified in all she has done!"

"Including end our relationship?"

"You've always come back in the end anyway, how was she supposed to know? And you have no one to blame but yourself, you hear me? I know that if you really wanted to, you'd do anything you can to get what you want, but since you haven't, it means you don't want it hard enough!"

"I want nothing more!"

"Don't contradict me, I'm your mother, I know these things!"

"Fine!" Percy threw up his arms. "I made a mistake! I can't go back now, but I'm _trying_ to make up for it. I'm trying, mom." Percy took a few steps away, towards the door. "I'm doing whatever I can. It's just that what I can do nowadays is pretty limited." Percy sighed and looked down at the floor. "Anyway, I came to bring Abigail here, courtesy of my father. I'll leave now."

Percy turned towards the door, but his mother stopped him.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I'm nothing if I'm the type of mother to drive her son away from her. Come, sit. I'm making cookies. And as long as you and Annabeth can sit in the same room together, then you can both talk to me with Abigail." Percy nodded silently and sat down on the couch, opposite the two women. He didn't even ask for a cookie.

"Now. What's your story, Abigail?" Sally asked, sitting next to her son.

"I don't really know. One moment I'm a normal college student, with normal friends, normal school, and a seemingly normal boyfriend who doesn't look too old. Then your son comes along and tells me he's the son of my boyfriend, and he's Sally asked, sitting next to her son.

"I don't really know. One moment I'm a normal college student, with normal friends, normal school, and a seemingly normal boyfriend who doesn't look too old. Then your son comes along and tells me he's the son of my boyfriend, and he's _my_ age, which means things I'd rather not think about, and I'm pregnant and things are just too much."

"How far along are you?" Sally asked.

"I'm only four weeks along. I found out about a week ago. I didn't even tell Poseidon yet, although it seems that his son knows, so maybe he knows too."

Sally nodded slowly. "He always does. Has he left you yet?"

"I wasn't even aware he was going to."

"He has to."

"What do you mean? Why?"

"He can't be part of his child's life, not too much."

"Why?"

"It puts us in danger." Percy said. "There are enemies of Poseidon who would like to see us dead."

"But you're on good terms with your father." She pointed out.

"I can take care of myself. There's a camp where your child can go, when he or she is old enough, maybe ten to thirteen. Keep in touch of one of us and you'll be able to get her or him there."

"What's so special about this camp?"

"It's a place he wants you to send your child, that's all." Percy quickly said.

"Part of his message for me?" She asked bitterly.

"No." Percy spoke quietly. "I don't know what he wanted to accomplish by bringing you here. My dad and I are not very close."

"Surprisingly, I'm closer to my dad than you are to yours, and closer to my mom than you are to your dad. Shame you've still got mom, or I'd really be the better of the two of us." Annabeth remarked idly. Percy shot her a glare.

"What do you know about this camp?" Abigail asked Annabeth.

"Only that it's home." Annabeth responded, the warmth in her voice such a contrast to the coldness from when she spoke to Percy. He pretended it didn't hurt as much as it did.

"I'm going to get the cookies." Sally said uneasily. "Please don't kill each other."

"I'm not going to kill her!" Percy said indignantly.

"No promises." Annabeth said at the same time, smirking at Percy. Sally looked very uncomfortable, but she brought out the cookies.

Immediately, before anyone could get any, a brown-haired blur darted up and stuffed one into his mouth. He was followed by another brown-haired blur, this time in the form of a girl and smaller than her brother. She attempted to grab one, but dropped it instantly, yelling 'ouch' and blowing on her fingers.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's too hot?" Sally scolded good-naturedly.

"But Ody took one!" Andromeda whined.

"And he shouldn't have." Sally gave a meaningful look towards Odysseus, who was stuffing a third into his mouth.

"Sorry." He said, his mouth full of crumbs.

"Aw, let them live a little." Annabeth smiled, standing up and grabbing one, messing up Andromeda's hair with her free hand. "That way they learn from their mistakes, like this one. Now she'll know never to take cookies that have just been baked, right Andy?"

Andromeda nodded as seriously as a five-year-old little girl can nod, then proceeded to grab another cookie. Percy grinned and stood up to get a cookie.

"Hey guys, long time no see." He said to Andy and Ody, this time ruffling Ody's hair. He hated it more, so it was more fun.

Andy responded with a great smile, her mouth quite full of cookies, while Ody scowled and tried to fix his hair.

"Keep your mouth closed if you have food in it." Annabeth reminded.

"Hey Abigail, come on! Mom's cookie's are the food of the gods, almost literally." Percy said with his mouth full. Annabeth glared at him, and he swallowed and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." He said, winking at his siblings. They giggled, used to Percy and Annabeth's antics. He briefly wondered if they knew he and Annabeth had broken up.

Abigail came up, but Percy took the plate from his mother and set it at the coffee table where everyone could get it. The children moved with it, sitting down right in front of the plate.

"These are good!" Abigail exclaimed (without food in her mouth).

"Of course they are." Percy responded with a smile. "They were made with lots of love."

"And they were made for Annabeth." Annabeth said pointedly. Percy rolled his eyes.

"New rule: no fighting while the cookies are out." Sally said firmly. Her children groaned, Percy included.

"Who're you?" Andy asked Abigail.

"Andy!" Annabeth scolded.

"I mean… My name's Andromeda, but people call my Andy. What's your name?" Andy corrected.

"I'm Abigail."

"I'm Odysseus, but people call me Ody." Ody introduced. "What are you here for? And how do you know Percy and Annabeth?"

"Oh… I'm here because I um…" Abigail looked at Percy and Annabeth for help. Annabeth smiled sadly but shrugged.

"My dad wanted me to bring her here. She's his girlfriend." Percy explained. "And she's Annabeth's friend."

"Ew." Ody wrinkled his nose. "Why didn't Annabeth stop them?"

"Because I didn't know." Annabeth responded.

"Oh, they're not…" Abigail frowned.

"I have a step-dad, Paul." Percy explained. "Ody and Andy are my half-siblings on my mom's side."

"How many do you have on your dad's side?" Abigail asked tentatively.

"Dunno." Percy stuffed another cookie into his mouth.

"Percy!" Annabeth elbowed him. "He doesn't really mean…Um…"

"It's okay. I understand." Abigail frowned.

"It's not that bad." Sally said. "Your child will be extraordinary, and hard to parent, but he or she should be worth it." Percy grinned at his mother.

"I…" Abigail looked overwhelmed. "Do you think I can do that? Be a good mother, that is."

"Well, I haven't known you for long, but I'd like to think so." Sally responded in her motherly way.

"You'd be great." Annabeth reassured.

"But… I mean…" Abigail stopped. "If you can do it, so can I." She smiled at Annabeth, who grinned reassuringly back at her, although Percy could detect a bit of uncertainty behind that smile.

"Well, Annabeth will have Percy." Andy pointed out.

"Oh. Um… Yeah, I suppose so." She looked at Percy, who ignored her, and then Annabeth, who shrugged at her.

"We've had a really on and off relationship for a few years. They probably kept assuming we'd get back together like usual." Annabeth murmured in her ear.

"So how's kindergarten, kiddo?" Percy asked Ody.

"Great! My new teacher's…" Ody started rambling, Percy listening as closely as he could.

He wondered briefly if he'll ever be able to this with his own children, just sit down and listen to them tell him what was going on in their lives. He wondered if his children would even know who he was. He wondered if he'd have been a good father anyway.

Eventually, Annabeth and Abigail left, but Percy stayed for dinner, being part of a family he had abandoned in a single rash decision. He never regretted it more than then.

* * *

**Abigail was actually a part of a different story plot that I had thought of, probably something that was going to end up a one-shot, and same with Odysseus and Andromeda, but… They fit nicely with the final message.**

**Note: I pronounce Odysseus as Oh-dee-say-us, which makes Ody sound normal. I've actually heard of someone named Odysseus, pronounced that way too. Oh, and I tried to give them names of heroes/heroines who had happy endings. There aren't many, though, so Percy and Andy will have to be siblings, regardless of the myths. It makes me a bit uncomfortable, but can you think of any Greek heroines that had a happy ending? Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra do not count. Penelope would work, I guess, but then we'd have the same problem.**

**Actually, I'm all for names. You've got a name, and even an actual character, and I'll gladly use it! I suck at naming and at characters. But you know who's really good at that? Suzanne Collins, J. K. Rowling, Patrick Ness, and Brandon Sanderson. Their books are amazing. **


	11. Chapter 10

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! My past few updates have not been very good, and I apologize.**

**Just a warning, there are just a few swear words, nothing major, but if you don't like that kind of thing… I'll warn you when it's coming.**

**g (guest): Thanks!**

**Youngjay: Maybe we see Annabeth differently, but if she knew that would happen, would she really tell anyone? I feel like she's too insecure to do that.**

**WisegirlAnnabethChase: Thanks! I'll keep them in mind, although they might end up in another story. ;)**

**teamleo4: Thanks! Got it, and maybe I'll try to put some Caleo in the next few chapters. I realize it's really been centered on Annabeth and Percy so far...**

**Princess Of Flames: Alright, thanks! :)**

**Bloodtributes: ;) just keep reading!**

**Alright, here goes. I hope this one is better than the last.**

* * *

"So, I have a joke." Jack said with a grin. Annabeth groaned. He had bought a joke book the other day, solely because it had caught his attention and he decided, _hey, why not see how much Annabeth likes me by trying these out on her?_ He was going to try one on her every day. Some of them were funny, at least.

"Aren't you not supposed to aggravate the pregnant woman?" Annabeth whined. "In case she goes all psycho on you?"

"You haven't yet, so I'm taking it as a good sign." Jack opened the book up to a random page. "Oh, look, it's a pick-up line." Annabeth groaned. "'Do you have a map?'" Jack read, looking up at Annabeth expectantly. She placed her head on the table. He nudged her.

"Why?" She finally asked.

"'Because I keep getting lost in your eyes!'" Jack frowned. That one was not a good one to tell Annabeth. Not while she was still getting over Percy. Annabeth banged her head on the table a few times.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Annabeth told him, frowning, but he could sense a sort of amusement lurking behind that, and a ghost of a smile. She used to say that endearingly towards Percy.

"You love me anyway." Jack replied cheerfully.

Annabeth didn't answer.

**pagebreak:Itotallydid****not****getinspirationforthatfrom****_CoffeeProvidesResuscitation_****;)Pagebreak**

"I'm taking you somewhere fun!" Jack announced on their way home.

"I have to work." Annabeth replied.

"But you always work!"

"Yes, that's what most people do, Jack, they work when it's time to work."

"I work because I need to."

"Jack…"

"Maybe it's time you took a break."

"Maybe it's time you left me alone."

"You wound me, Annabeth."

"Is that a yes?"

"Nope!"

They reached Jack's floor. He didn't leave.

"Seriously, Jack?"

"You need to relax. Stress isn't good for your body, or the babies."

"I'm more stressed when I don't have anything to do."

"That sucks. You must really want to go out, then."

"Jack, I swear–" The elevator door opened, and Annabeth hopped out. Jack followed.

"Jack…" Annabeth sighed. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"Can I come in and wait until you change your mind?"

"No."

"Please?"

"How about you come in and have a talk with me?" Nico said from the doorway.

"That's a great idea!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Jack, sorry if this is a bit insensitive, but just wondering, are you gay?"

"No?"

"Was that an answer or a question?"

"Never gone out with a guy before." Jack frowned. "It's been girls so far." _Or, just one girl._

"Oh. Would you ever consider dating a guy?"

"This is pointless, Annabeth. I'm not talking to him because I like him, gods." Nico interrupted. Annabeth sighed.

"Fine." She mumbled, walking in. Jack followed. "I'll be in my room, so don't bother me." She said, heading over there. Jack stayed.

Nico waited until the door was closed before turning and glaring at him.

"What?" Jack asked. Mad Nico meant dead Jack. Or Percy. Whichever Nico was thinking of him as at the moment.

"You like her, don't you?" Nico demanded.

"What?" Percy's face heated up. _Was it that obvious? No, but I don't like her. I don't like her, not anymore. _Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice said that he loved her, not liked her, but he ignored that voice.

"You like her." Nico stated. "No, don't even try to deny it, I'm not an idiot. I may be socially inept, but I know a crush when I see one. And you, Jack, have a massive crush on a girl who will never love you."

"What?" Jack asked.

"She might as well have sworn off men, Jack. She's vowed never to love anyone romantically again. Percy left her so… Broken." Nico's shoulders slumped forward. "He left all of us broken. And Annabeth, as always, thought it was her job to pick up the pieces, look strong."

Percy was frozen. He didn't know what to do, what to say. He had no idea, had never thought about how his decision might affect his friends, not just his family and Annabeth. _Nico_. He had kept trying to make it up to him, to make up for all the times he had forgotten Nico. And then he'd done it again, given him another reason to hate him, and forgotten him again.

"Even if she hadn't, you'll never fill Percy's shoes. He was amazing, and up until the very end, the best person anyone knew. He'd fight for you after meeting you less than a minute ago. He'd kill you if you even put a hand on someone he loved. He was oblivious, but he had a heart of gold."

"Why are you speaking in past tense?"

"Because then he left. And then the truth came out. He was selfish. More selfish than anyone could ever have imagined. He couldn't think of a world where the ones he loved didn't exist, so he went out of his way to keep them safe. He fought for stranger's lives, or even enemy's lives, because he and the people he cared about wouldn't be able to live with him if he ever lost anyone. He acted brave because he needed to convince himself to be brave, and everyone else was just a bonus. And then, suddenly, he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't be brave, he couldn't keep fighting for people he really didn't give a damn about, and he could finally see a world without those he loved. He finally saw that there was a possibility for him to live without those he loved, and it was without hardships, without needing to look brave because there was nothing to be scared of, without having to save someone you didn't care about. And at the same time, he could save someone, if he really wanted to."

"Is that what you really think?"

"Yeah. It's stupid, really, how we had always assumed that the fact that he'd give up his life and the world if it meant Annabeth would live was him being too selfless. It wasn't. He was being selfish."

"You really think that of me?" Percy had sat down on the couch, shocked. Had he been seeing everything the wrong way around?

"Well, someone has to be critical of–wait, _you_?" Nico stared at him, horrified. Percy widened his eyes, jumping up and slapping his hand over Nico's mouth. He dragged them over into Nico's room, closing the door quickly.

"Nico, don't freak out." Percy said, removing the Mist that had been disguising him. "Please don't freak out." Nico stared up at him in shock.

"_Percy_?" He managed in a strangled voice.

"Yeah." Percy sighed, flopping onto Nico's bed. "I just… When I found out about the kids, I needed to… Needed to be as much part of my children's lives as I could."

"And you thought pretending to be some random mortal guy and getting Annabeth to fall in love with you was a good idea?"

"It sounds weird, but it was the only way I could think of!"

"It's a stupid idea that will never work!"

"Keep your voice down! And we're at least friends now. I've been asking her for updates and stuff, find out about the two."

"And that's all that you care about, huh? You never thought to tell any of us, just thought you'd spy on our lives and never let a single one of us know?"

"I…" Percy groaned and covered his face. "I don't know what I'm doing." He whispered. "I haven't know what I was doing since we broke up. I'm so used to just following Annabeth, doing what she told me to, talked me through, that when she was gone… I just went and made all the worst possible choices."

"And did the worst possible thing with that choice."

"What do you mean?"

"You can do anything now. You can help kill monsters–"

"I can't directly interfere."

"Fine. You could help other gods properly keep their oath."

"Would work if I were told anything like that."

"You didn't try to find out, either. You could make the gods treat their children better. I try with my dad, but it's kind of useless, considering the fact that he only has two children."

"I've always tried that. Even before I became immortal."

"Now you have even more power. You could visit the kids in camp, the undetermined and stuff. Make them know that the gods care, even if it really is just you."

"They'd kill me if I so much as set one foot into camp."

"Fair enough. Still, you're in a position of power. Use that power."

"I'll try."

"And leave Annabeth alone."

"That I can't do."

"Why not?"

"You just said it, while you were ranting to me about me."

"So you really are too selfish. Try to be less selfish."

"I can't let go of Annabeth. I tried, I really, really tried."

"Then tell her the truth."

"I can't do that either. This has potential, Nico. I'll lose her if I tell her the truth."

"But you'll need to, eventually."

"Yeah, but…"

"She'll kill you if you don't tell her soon."

"She'll kill me, period."

"I still think you should tell her."

"If I decide not to, will you keep your mouth shut about me?"

Nico thought for a while.

"Yeah. Yeah, you should be the one to tell her."

"I will, some day. I just don't know when yet."

**IamsorelytemptedtojustmakePercyandNicogettogether…that'dmakeeveryone'slifeeasier,wouldn'tit?(oh,andthisisapagebreak)**

Percy Jackson was a formidable name. Jack Johnson was not even a half-blood, so there was no name to be held. Annabeth Chase was as frightening a name as Percy Jackson, but recent news was that she was pregnant, incapable of properly defending herself, and she and Percy Jackson were no longer together.

Obviously, once this information was known as a fact, Annabeth was targeted more when she was out and not around any of her half-blood friends. Jack Johnson was with her the first time she was attacked.

This was just as well, because Jack needed to prove to Annabeth that he was part of her world, with all its gods and monsters. So, while Annabeth frantically called Nico, Jack drew his sword, Riptide in disguise, and yelled at her to go and hide.

"What?" Annabeth yelled in shock. "You can see it?"

"Of course! Wait, you can?" Jack asked, playing along to his character.

"Yeah! Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

"Uh… Jack Johnson… Brother to a daughter of Demeter."

"Oh! But you can see them?"

"Yeah, I can see through the Mist." Jack took a horrible swing at the Hellhound.

"And you can use a sword."

_Well, kind of,_ Jack thought.

"I needed to help defend my sister. She didn't want to leave me alone with my dad, so she didn't go to camp after a summer. She taught me the basics." Jack took another swing, nearly hitting the monster.

"What was her name?"

"Samantha." Jack used the first name he could think of.

"Never heard of her."

"Died when I was seven."

"And yet you still practiced swordplay?"

"I had to keep as many monsters from getting anyone else like my sister." Jack swung again, this time getting a claw. "I couldn't save my sister, but maybe I saved a different demigod." Jack stabbed upwards as the hellhound attempted to leap over him, and the monster turned into dust. "Ugh." Jack tried to wipe it off him.

"Annabeth? Annabeth?" Nico's voice came from Annabeth's phone. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine now." Annabeth said, looking at Jack strangely. She was looking at him like she had misunderstood him, got him wrong from the beginning. He hoped something good would come of this.

"Jack's coming over for a while." Annabeth said before hanging up the phone. "And you're telling me everything." She told him.

Jack tried to construct a story on their way back home.

* * *

**This is Annabeth's POV now. Percy was draining me. There will be a few swear words here, so tread carefully.**

There were three types of fighting between Percy and Annabeth. One was when they sparred or fought a monster, and the other when they bantered over small things. The third, however, was full-on, messy, angry arguing that never ended well.

And one time it ended forever.

The first few months of their break-up, Annabeth would lay awake at night and replay their fight again and again, letting regret seep into her bones and weigh her down until sleep consumed her. And then there were just other things to deal with, school, camp, friends and the gods, and Annabeth stopped thinking about that day altogether.

And then, suddenly, that was all she dreamed of.

_"Oh my gods, Percy, can't you just let me do something for once?" Annabeth yelled, slamming the door shut behind her. Percy turned around, disbelief in his eyes._

_"You're joking, right? You're mad at me?" He asked incredulously._

_"Who wouldn't? You know, just because I've agreed to marry you does not mean I'm going to be sitting home and knitting while you go out killing monsters!"_

_"I know that!"_

_"Then why did you try to shield me from that monster? I could've handled it!"_

_"I saved your life, Annabeth!"_

_"No you didn't, I would've blocked that! Percy, face it, you don't even trust me to properly fight a monster!"_

_"That's not true! Of all the things you can do, fighting monsters is definitely on that list!"_

_"Well, you sure as Athena didn't show that today, jumping in front of me like the hero you always pretend to be!"_

_Percy's face grew as red as Annabeth's must've already been. "Pretend to be a hero?" He asked._

_"Yeah! We all know I'm the real hero who saved Olympus, Perseus." Annabeth spat the name at him._

_"Really, now?"_

_"You're the coward who hid behind me while I saved the world and then jumped forward to claim all the credit–"_

_"I did not!"_

_"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking! You think you're so high and mighty, shielding me from a monster I can clearly handle, not letting me do anything on my own!" _

_"Well sorry for caring about you, princess. And sorry for not reaching your standards to match your perfect world!"_

_"Don't you dare make this about me!"_

_"Oh, right, sorry, I forgot, Annabeth Chase is always perfect and never makes a mistake, so whenever we fight, it's always _my_ fault, is that right?"_

_"I'm not perfect, I know I'm not, but I can do some things, even if you don't think I can!"_

_"Oh, like what?"_

_"Much more than you can do!"_

_"And there it goes again, back to me and all my flaws!"_

_"That's because we're having a problem with _your_ flaw, the one that makes you risk everything for someone who doesn't even need help! Percy, I don't need your help, I'm not helpless!"_

_"And you don't think I don't know that?"_

_"I know you don't know that!"_

_"Well, surprise surprise, seems like Annabeth Chase is wrong for once!"_

_"You know what, if this is what it's going to be like when we get married, I don't think I want to!"_

_"Well good, because I'm pretty sure I want a wife who appreciates me and what I do for her."_

_"Good luck with that, considering there's not much to appreciate!"_

_"Well good luck finding someone who reaches your perfect standards!"_

_"They don't have to be perfect, but they sure as Hades can't be like you, that's for sure!"_

_Percy started heading towards their room._

_"Oh, and apparently they have to acknowledge your awesomeness as well, right?" He called over his shoulder._

_"They don't have to shelter me from everything, think of me as house wife!"_

_"You wish you were that domestic! Good luck finding someone who's willing to settle down with a wife who burns water!"_

_"Get out!" Annabeth screamed as he flung open the door to their room and rummaged through his stuff._

_"Gladly!" He started packing some of his clothes. "I'll take all my stuff and leave!"_

_"Good, take this, too!" Annabeth threw her ring at Percy._

_"Thanks, maybe I'll give this to someone who loves me!"_

_"And maybe I'll get one from someone who let's me be who I am!"_

_"Because you're so perfect, aren't you, Annabeth?"_

_"More perfect than you! At least I have something in my brain!" Something inside Annabeth seemed to know that she had gone too far, but there was no way in Hades she was going to take it back now._

_"So that's what it's all really about, isn't it, Annabeth? My stupidity?"_

_"Maybe it is! Maybe it's your cowardice, your obliviousness, I could go on all day about your flaws!"_

_"And I could go on about yours, but I'll be a bit busy wondering how I managed to waste my entire life on an uptight bitch!"_

_"And I'll be wondering what you slipped into my drink to make me even think I could marry an idiotic bastard like yourself!"_

_Percy zipped up his bag and headed out, not meeting Annabeth's eyes, but she knew that she had hit a nerve. Being called a bastard always made him angry._

_"Well, thank the gods we've figured this out before it was too late!" He yelled at her without turning around._

_"Thank Athena for letting me see the truth!" Annabeth retorted, not even noticing the tears running down her face. "Now get out, and don't come back!" _

_Percy was gone, and Annabeth slammed the door behind him. She leaned against the door, sobbing._

Annabeth woke up with tears in her eyes. It amused her that after seven months, she was still dreaming about it and crying about it.

Although, who wouldn't? It hadn't taken her long to realize how right he had been about her, how that fight had really been her and her own flaws. She felt like she had known that, towards the end, but couldn't repent. She could never admit her own mistakes.

Annabeth got up and washed her face of tears, changed, and composed herself to not look as if she had just been crying. Annabeth had long since mastered the art of looking strong, though, from years ago when Percy had disappeared and no one knew where he was.

Walking, or waddling, since she was quite big now, Annabeth made her way to the kitchen. _There are voices on the other side_, she noted, wondering who could be there. She slowed and put on her cap, quietly moving to the door. She knew this was bad, but Nico was such a secretive person, and she wanted him to be happy. He had been so down when Percy left, and seemed to barely have any reason to live. Annabeth had asked him to be the 'godfather' of Marina, and that seemed to cheer him up a bit, but Annabeth firmly believed he needed a boyfriend. He always retaliated by claiming that she needed one too. Well. Fair enough.

Nico was talking very quietly, but it sounded like he was arguing with the other person, who Annabeth, no matter how hard she strained her ears, could not hear. She would have thought he were talking on the phone, but she had heard them talking before and knew that it was either an IM or they were talking in person.

"You have to tell her." Nico said in hushed tones. "I don't care, I don't even care if she kills you, you have to tell her." The person responded. "Depends. You're running out of time. Her due date's in two months."

_They're talking about me!_ Annabeth realized. _Who's Nico talking to?_ Somewhere in her mind, Percy appeared. _No, it can't be Percy, Nico's not a traitor._ She told herself.

It had surprised her that even after everything, Nico had never asked to know what had happened when Percy and Annabeth had broken up. Even after Percy had claimed that it was all Annabeth's fault, Nico didn't press her for information. Perhaps it was because he had already been told, by Percy. Maybe all her friends knew, and were only hanging around because of the twins. Percy seemed to be the type who would tell his friends that even if they thought badly of her, they needed to be kind to her because of the children.

But, had he even known about them? When they had met for the first time since the break up, he had seemed so shocked. But then again, he had figured out about her pregnancy pretty quickly. She hadn't been that far along, and had begun to show only a few weeks before when he had pieced it together. She had originally thought it was because he knew her well enough to know what it all meant, but now she wasn't so sure.

Nico was still talking about how Annabeth deserved to know and 'the sooner, the better' when Annabeth decided to come in. She took off her cap and came inside, starting breakfast.

Nico had been talking to Jack.

"Hey, Jack." Annabeth said, surprised. _Why was Nico talking to Jack about all of this? _"What're you doing here?"

"Just wanted to check up on you before I went to class." Jack said casually, smiling up at her. She smiled back.

"Before you went to class?" She asked curiously. "What about me?"

"First day of your leave, remember?" Jack kept his smile. It was as if he knew she couldn't really be mad if he smiled at her. "You're taking the online classes now, and staying home nearly all day!"

Right. She had forgotten all about that.

"Nope, I've got an appointment at the doctor's. 30th week, remember?" She replied, but Jack's smile only grew. It unnerved her sometimes that he never seemed to be unhappy around her. He was always so eager to please, and yet adamant about her being good to her body and resting, everything. She wondered how he could like someone like her.

Then again, how could she like someone like him? It was as if she had a death wish and a thing for idiotic and clumsy guys, because Jack was so alike Percy she nearly called him Seaweed Brain a couple of times. Of course, it wasn't like she _really_ liked him, not that much, just a little, tiny, itty-bitty bit.

"So we won't get coffee later, then?" Jack asked. "I guess I'll have to give you your joke now, then." Those jokes were the bane of her existence.

"Please no."

"What? But now I can use demigod jokes!" Jack complained.

"Like you have any!"

Jack knowing about the godly world had really shocked Annabeth yesterday, but she had also been slightly relieved. She didn't have to watch her tongue anymore, and it was so much safer for her to be out with someone who knew who she was and could protect her. She had been getting worried about how attached she was to Jack and how dangerous it could be before he told her.

"You're right, I don't, and seeing as you'll already be angry because you're stuck here, I'll save you." Jack said after a pause. Nico sighed in relief while Annabeth tried to hide her smile.

"Have you eaten?" Annabeth asked, bringing her food to the table. Contrary to what Percy always said, Annabeth could cook, just not fancy things, and her food wasn't amazing.

"No, we definitely haven't, Annabeth, that's why there's a plate and utensils right in front of us." Jack responded sarcastically. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I guess I deserved that one." She said with a smile. She looked down at her food, but she didn't miss Nico elbowing Jack.

"I'll be going now." Nico announced, standing up and washing his dishes.

"You know, I do too, or I'll be late." Jack was looking at his watch in shock, and Annabeth pouted.

"You're both leaving me?" She asked.

"Wish I didn't have to, but I've been late way too many times." Jack rushed out.

There was silence in the kitchen, Nico washing his dishes and Annabeth eating slowly.

"He's nice." Nico finally remarked.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.

"I see the way you look at him, Annabeth." Nico responded. "But watch out. He's too much like Percy."

"Don't worry, Nico, I'm done with love."

"That's what you say now." Nico left the kitchen.

Annabeth was bored all day, drawing buildings and watching documentaries, even reading some more baby books. She had already went through all the baby shower gifts with Nico (she still laughed every time she thought of his face when she forced him to do it) and the nursery was perfect, waiting for it's two occupants, so there wasn't much more to do at home. Nico wasn't much company.

Annabeth had always loved and hated school, from the very beginning. She had always known that she was different, and her classmates always knew too. They picked on her, but she loved to learn, and school offered that opportunity. When she got into college on scholarship, she was happy because she would be learning things she loved, but also because there was a possibility that she'd find mortal friends who had the same interests as her. She didn't have many, switching schools all the time and being smarter than everyone else.

College had been better, with more mature students and better friends, and Annabeth had loved the first two years. Those years were also when she and Percy had finally gotten over their PTSD. They were the happiest years of her life.

And then, of course, she had gotten pregnant and she was stupid enough to tell one of her friends when she got back from the summer. After two months in camp, she had forgotten how possible it was for her friends to stab her in the back, and she had forgotten what mortal society was like. The next day, everyone knew, and she was back to high school, people avoiding her because she was different, and barely anyone even looking at her. Jack had been kind enough to be a friend when she had none.

The appointment, the highlight of her day, went fine and Annabeth found herself wishing she had someone to share these moments with. Jack had been with her when she first felt them kick, and Nico during the night when they were having a dance party in there, but she rarely brought anyone to check-ups or ultrasounds. That was the thing you did with your husband, sometimes your really good friends and your mother. Husband and mother were out, but it wasn't like Annabeth was going to drag a friend along every time she went, so it was usually just her.

Not for the first time, Annabeth started wondering how Percy would've reacted, seeing his children through the ultrasound. She wondered how good of a father he would've been, imagined his face if she had told him when she first found out. That was one of her favorite and yet most painful things she liked to imagine. It was always different, sometimes him spinning her around, other times kissing her, or yelling it out to the world, but he was always happy, so happy. And then, afterward, she'd feel like the worst person in the world for taking this away from him.

Sometimes her fingers would reach for her phone, and she would almost call him before catching herself. She'd remind her why this had to be, why she couldn't let him be the father to his children, and that it wasn't her fault, in the end, it was his. It was his problem and if he cared enough, he'd try to figure something out. _If he could think of something that was good enough,_ she told herself, _I'll let him be their father. Doesn't mean we'll get together or anything, but he'll be able to raise them._

* * *

**I realized that I knew Annabeth better, and I'd write (hopefully) better in her POV. Maybe I'll switch around now… If I can figure out what comes next.**

**Anyway, tell me what you think!**


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